Arkham Rising
by AuDC Productions
Summary: "How are you Mr. Cross? Are you still seething over your sister's death? Are you done cowering while your mother is murdered? Have you seen the pits of hell? I am Professor Hugo Strange, Ra's true successor. I look forward to burying you with the rest of Gotham. Protocol 10 is ready to commence. And the only way to stop it, is to kill me..." *Sequel to Shattered Persona*
1. TYL Arc: Prologue

**Author's Note: **So here is the sequel to Shattered Persona. Follows the life of Jake Cross after his death (weird huh?) and a timeline will be posted on the AuDC Productions page starting with Jake's early life to now, so you don't necessarily have to read Shattered Persona- but do it anyway! This story will be longer and done in Arcs unlike the previous ones. Enjoy and leave a review or PM for any thoughts, comments, or questions. Later.

**Disclaimer: **AuDC Productions does not own Young Justice, Teen Titans, any DC Comics, Batman: Arkham Asylum/Arkham City, or the Nolan series of Batman.

* * *

Arkham Risings

Three Years Later Arc

Prologue: Graduation

Three years. It had been three years since Jake Cross had passed. It seemed longer. But there were things that she did to occupy her time. Killing, for instance, was her new favorite pastime. It sounded sadistic, but it helped her cope. Toying with the former Speedy also fueled her desires. He could never be Jake, but he would do for the time.

Now she stares as one Richard Grayson makes his way across the stage. The boy, now a young man, was graduating. Jake should have graduated. He _would_ have graduated. Two years ago. But he died. He died because of the boy smiling and shaking hands with the principal.

And Jade would make sure that today would be the last day anyone saw that stupid smile ever again.

_"Cheshire,"_ Jade huffs. Damn Talia and her sense of timing. _"You are wanted. Meet back at the warehouse immediately."_

"I'm kind of in the middle of something. I'll call back-"

_"This isn't a debate. Come. Now."_

Jade lets out a grunt of frustration. She waited for this particular day to kill Dick. A day where she knew that all his friends and family would be gathered to witness his death. How people would mourn for him like she did Jake. But now this woman and her godforsaken jobs has Jade delaying her killings.

"Soon…" Cheshire said before leaving. "I'll see you soon Birdbrain."

* * *

It would be late that night that Jade would return home. Her apartment was her sanctuary, a place that even the League of Assassins dread to near. However, something was seriously off. Her living room seemed disturbed. The remote was turned wrong. And there was a magazine on her table.

The assassin grabbed her sai, clutching them in her hands.

"You have to be one dumb bastard for breaking into my house!" she calls out. "Come out!"

A chuckle makes her hesitate.

"You know Sunshine, I thought that I'd find some half-dead naked man in your room. You know, for that itch that I scratched for you so well."

The blades fell to the ground immediately followed by her mask. She could only stare as the boy- no _man_- that she had been mourning for stood in front of her as if he had not died. He had noticeably grown taller, taller than her now. And more muscular. He looked much like his father, just with short black hair and two dark brown eyes instead of white hair and one good blue eye and a defunct one.

"J-Jake." Jade stammered. "You… Your…"

"Alive? Well, as the greatest thief in the world, I had to cement my legacy by stealing my life from death itself. I dare Catwoman try that with any of her nine lives." Jake jokes. Jade takes a small step towards Jake, though he puts his hands up, stopping her. "You're going to slap me and I would rather not start our reunion off like that."

"How did-"

"When you're mad, your fingers curl and stretch repeatedly." The young man said before pointing to her hands at her sides. They were indeed doing the actions he said. "I don't need training to know that. To know you."

"How…? How did you live?" Jade said, taking another step towards him. "Artemis… She had your mask. It was your blood. I tested it."

Jake strips off his shirt, revealing her his muscular body before turning around. She stared at the red demonic symbols on his back that stretched from one shoulder to the other. She frowns, her finger tracing them before she pieced the symbols together.

"It's a bird…" she muses.

"Raven." Jake told her. "She gave me a mark similar to the Mark of Scath. It saved my life, sort of."

"I don't get it." said Cheshire.

"In order for this thing to activate, I must be seconds away from dying and it preserves my life while repairing whatever it is that is killing me." Jake explained. "In other words, when Kaldur stabbed me, it was supposed to activate… But it didn't."

"Why?" questions the assassin, her fingers still tracing the symbols that made the bird.

"I don't know. Despite Raven telling me that it was only a twenty percent chance of working anyway I-"

"Twenty percent?! You almost kill yourself for what?!" Jade shouts.

Jake sighs, turning to face her. "I had to do it. And it worked."

"The body though. Did you get yourself buried?" Jade questioned.

"No. Gemini replaced me in the hospital and then we put a person that resembles me in my place. Jake Wilson is dead. Red X is dead." Jade's eyes narrowed. "I couldn't tell you." She crosses her arms. "You wouldn't have reacted the way you did if you knew I was safe and would leave you for three years. In fact, you would have probably killed me if you knew that I was alive and ignoring your calls."

"It's still an option…" The woman growled.

Jake's eyes hardened. "Listen to me. There are things far beyond our control and your employers were going to kill your sister in hopes of making me into the perfect killing machine. Not to mention that Vandal Savage-"

"Fuck Vandal! You made some plan to kill yourself and you didn't tell me?! Do you know that I-"

"Attacked the Team? Yeah, I do. Every time. You even planned on killing Dick."

"How did you-"

"I didn't know that last part until you just admitted it. I followed you to his graduation and just assumed that that's what you were going to do." Jade's lips thinned. He was different, far different than when they first met that was for sure. "I'm back. And in two days, I told Ra's I'd be ready for a mission. I'd really like it if I had my old partner back. She may have been a bit bitchy and sadistic, but seeing her in her tight kimono really made my night sometime."

Jade snorts. "What are you? Some perverted teenager spying on me?"

"Not so much a pervert and no longer a teen. Plus I don't need to spy on someone living in my apartment." Jade frowned. "Oh, meet the guy that just bought this complex. Jake Cross."

"You…"

"Consider living here rent free a personal gift from me to you for not killing me now." Jake said with a grin. The man of twenty turns. "Now, meet me on the roof. I would like to spar with you for old time-"

Cheshire was shocked when her reach for his belt loop was stopped by him spinning and catching her wrist. His reflexes were at least twice as fast as they once were.

The two kept eye contact, thief to assassin, before he pulled her body towards his and gave her the kiss she had been longing for. Jake could feel the corners of his partner's lips turning upwards into a smirk as the thrill was slightly amusing to her. It always was.

Jade lets out a long guttural moan when she feels her back slamming against the door to her bedroom. He pressed against her tightly, allowing her to rub herself as much as she wanted without letting her lose control completely. That's how it used to be. Jake allowing her pleasure but never too much. He would move just before she could find the right combinations to driver herself into the pits of euphoria. And every time Jade felt Jake's body move too far out of her reach, she would growl just like she once did.

"Who's touched you?" His words almost end their moment but she knew he would notice. He was the Heir of the Demon after all.

"He isn't important." Jade replies. Jake apparently accepts the answer, nibbling on a sensitive spot on her neck. "Do you want your rematch, Junior?"

She almost loses her breath when he hoists her up. Her legs are forced around his waist as he pulls away from her neck and glares at her with pure lust.

"Game on, Partner."

Yes, he was back. Not so much as the cold distant version that she had met in mid-February after he returned from wherever. Not the annoying boy she had met when The Brain thought it was a good idea to bring in one of the world's most talkative thieves into the Brotherhood of Evil. But the guy that constantly looked after her on missions whether he wanted to or not was back.

Her teammate.

Her partner.

Her lover.


	2. TYL Arc: Chapter 1

Arkham Risings

Three Years Later Arc

Ch.1: Spiders

[Jade's Apartment: Gotham City, New Jersey]  
[June 8, 09:02:56 EST]

The sun was shining. It had been so long since she's even cared about such a small and insignificant thing as sunshine. Sure, there had been tons of sunny days in the past three years, but they never really seemed "sunny" anymore. Metaphorically speaking, all days were raining days in her life when she realized that her partner was dead.

But now he was back and, as she theorized, the sun was shining again.

Too bad she would probably have a hit soon…

Jade sat up, ignoring her nudity as she realized that Jake was already up and about. Her trained ears and eyes scanned for any signs of where he could be. She listened for running water. She looked to see if he had put his shoes on. But it was her nose that answered the question when the familiar scent of bacon filled her nostrils. With a smile, she lied back down and closed her eyes.

Until she realized that her partner was now lying bedside her.

"Aah!" Jake smiled. Jade never screamed. He has seen her face down death several of times, yet she never screamed. However, sneak up on her and appear in bed during a time when she was unarmed and he got the scream he had been looking for. "You bastard!"

Jake laughed. "Sorry Sunshine. It's just that, well, stealing your sai became too easy. I had to up the ante and scare you at least once."

"How'd you sneak in here?" Now Jake smirked.

"Who said I left?" he replies. "The whole thing about illusions is to make you see what I want you to see and then do something while you're not paying attention. You're so happy about the past two days that you aren't necessarily paying attention to everything."

"You're an ass now." Jade points out.

Jake shrugs. "You spend three years with the all funny Ra's al Ghul and we'll see what jokes you come back with." Jade uncharacteristically rolls her eyes, though she sported a small smile. "Oh don't be like that. Might I remind you that you have broken into my apartment several of times, and while I didn't scream like a little girl," The statement earned him a sharp elbow to the side. "I was still shocked. Scared even."

Jade did not say anything. This felt different to her. This affection that he was showing her was only something she had witnessed before when she tailed him and Artemis. Did that mean that he had forgotten about her sister? No. She clearly remembers him saying that he had to do something because the League of Assassins were planning on killing Artemis to enrage Jake into killing someone.

Perhaps he had simply realized who the better sister was? That made a lot of sense in Jade's mind. Jake suddenly realized that sticking his neck out for her sister would get him nowhere. He figured out while away from them both that Artemis put him in harm's way more time than Jade could ever do. Or he had simply remembered that Artemis had _another_ boyfriend while dating Jake.

Or maybe… Maybe he hadn't forgotten Artemis at all and just hasn't found her yet? This thought soured Jade's morning, but it was a possibility.

"You need to get up and get some breakfast. We have a mission." Jake's voice broke her out of her thoughts and she gazed to see him lying on his side next to her. "Unless you don't want any."

"What's the mission?" Jade's question brought a smile to Jake's face, one that she was unsure of. She liked it for the reasons that it hid a darker expression behind it. She hated it because, well, it had a darker expression behind it.

"You'll see." Jake said. "Now, how about you tell me about all your adventures while we have breakfast, shower, and then leave? Oh, and don't forget to just casually say the guy you've slept with. I won't stop until I find out who."

"I know you won't." Jade replies.

He was back. That's all she kept saying to herself. And now they were going on a mission. God help whoever the target was.

* * *

[Gotham City, New Jersey]  
[June 8, 12:04:39 EST]

"You're late." Nyssa says dismissing Jake's presence altogether.

Jake smiles. "My, my, you did grow beautiful. Shame. I liked that mark I gave you on New Year's Eve…"

"I…" Nyssa's words die immediately until she realized _who_ was speaking. The Russian gaped before composing herself. "I see you didn't die. I'm actually impressed. I thought that we were the only ones with the secrets of rejuvenation."

"You were wrong. Big surprise there." Jake sarcastically retorts. "So tell me, what's the mission today? I kind of want to get home to do some spring cleaning. Or summer cleaning."

"I liked you better dead." Nyssa growls.

"Ah, Jake," Ra's voice causes Nyssa to bite her tongue momentarily, though her glare never strayed away from the young man. "I see that you are ready for your mission. It involves an old friend of yours. Two of them actually."

Jake looked past Ra's at the stunned Talia.

"Morning Boss Lady. Might I say that the lighter brown hair is an improvement? You hardly look a day over thirty." Jake lightly taunts.

"I…" Talia was utterly shocked seeing her former student there. She knew he was dead. She soon realized that being tongue-tied was no way to act in front of her father and gave Jake a small bow. "It is good to see you again, Red X. Or do you go by something else?"

"Isn't that the million-dollar question?" Jake responds before looking at Ra's. "And who is this 'old friend' that I'm going to meet."

"Your father and uncle have been dragged into Arkham Asylum. As a favor, Slade has requested that I aid him in his escape." Ra's replied. "I believe that if it is you that does it, he'll actually owe me a favor. And with our latest plans, your father could be a great ally."

"I may be speaking out of turn, but what exactly are your latest plans?" Jake questioned.

"Ah, impatience is unbecoming. You must get that from Cheshire." Jade takes offense to the statement though does not show it. This was Ra's al Ghul who was saying this. The man has made several of the world's greatest fighters and was behind the deaths of many more.

"So that's it? We're going in to bust out my dad and uncle?" Jake asked.

"Deathstroke will be willing to do my plans. Deadpool… It's hard to tell." Ra's replied. "If you don't get Deadpool, believe me, I won't mind."

"We'll get him. Both of them." Jake said.

"I was thinking that this would be a solo mission." Ra's spoke.

Jake shook his head. "Already promised her she could tag along. And if anything, I am a man of my words." Jake paused. "Besides, you know me. I like to show off."

Jake turned around and began walking away, his hands stuffed in his pockets.

"Father," Nyssa said. "I don't mean to sound rude, but you could have let this one stay dead. Retrieving his body and reviving him was unnecessary."

"I neither retrieved nor revived him. He came to me in search for training. He is preparing to take my place and lead this world the way I see fit." Ra's replied

Talia's brows crease. "But… What about Strange. Surely you know that he will not take this lying down. He has practically lived for your approval over these three years."

"Then he should know that this is for the best." Ra's said turning to walk away. "I want to see you two spar with Jake when he returns. I'm sure you will see that he has grown."

"Yes Father." The sisters replied in unison before looking at one another.

Neither said anything to one another but they both heard each other loud and clear. It was time to find out about Jake for themselves. This meant that they were about to put their skills in use and follow their curiosity whether their father approved or not.

* * *

[Arkham Asylum: Gotham City, New Jersey]  
[June 8, 12:39:02 EST]

Jade only stares in disbelief. She had seen a lot of people calling themselves the Black Spider, but none had a suit like Jake did.

First, the black full-body suit was more sinister than his Red X suit. His eye lenses were white and appeared to be glaring constantly. Surprisingly, she liked that. Even though his mask had no other facial features _but_ those daunting eyes, Jade had to admit that she liked it better than the Red X mask.

As stated, the suit was full-body and showed no skin. Jake's body was completely drowned in the blackness except for a silver band that went around his wrists and the large silver spider symbol that covered his abdomen. On his back was a small spider-shaped backpack that reminded Jade of Gizmo's backpack.

All in all, this was not Red X and she doubted that his personality was anything like Red X as well. Oddly enough, she found herself wishing for the annoying Red X persona. While she initially hated it, she grew to love it. Well, she grew to love _him_ despite his annoying quirks.

"How do you want to do this?" Cheshire's outfit was roughly the same, however her kimono no longer had the small tears in it. And it showed more legs than Jake remembered.

"Simple," Jake told her. "We're going in and we're getting the dead brothers."

"Dead brothers?" inquired the female assassin.

"Deadpool? Deathstroke? Dead brothers." Jake said. Cheshire lets out a sigh while shaking her head. "Again, with Ra's for three years. Bored out of my mind."

"So how are you doing this? I doubt you're going through the front door." Jake releases a laugh before walking towards the door. "Are you fucking insane?! We're on an island with thousands of guards and you're-"

"It's okay Jade. Just watch."

Jake took in a deep breath. This suit was a lot more advanced than his Red X suit. He designed it to work as a separate part of his body, capable of doing things whenever he could not. It took him nearly two years to design and build it, but he did using his mother's company's weapons and every heist he ever did. Ra's was more than impress when Jake completed the suit. The nano-technological symbiotic suit was something Ra's thought could top Batman and Bane if worn by the right person. And for that thought, Jake destroyed the blueprints.

He would _not_ have another Pink X scenario happening again.

"Hey! What are you-"

Jake fired a black web-like material from the underside of his wrist at the guard, it sticking to the man's chest. With one tug of his hand, the guard flew towards Jake who immediately ended the fight with a strong lariat and a punch to the man's face.

Cheshire was quick to spot the other two guards moving in and was seconds away from warning Jake until he fired two webs at the approaching guards, electrocuting them. The black webs fell to the ground lifelessly, the men falling soon afterwards.

"Are you coming?" Black Spider questioned to his teammate.

"Are you seriously just going to walk in?" Cheshire asked, nearing her partner while making sure that they were unspotted.

"I needed a security card, don't you think?" Jade only nods as Jake showed her his newly gained key card. "Come on. We're going through the roof. And we might want to go before more TYGER guards get here."

Jade did not have a chance to speak as Jake grabbed her by the waist and fired a web towards the top of the building. Before she knew it, they were being pulled up to the top at high speeds.

"That was new." Cheshire said as the two landed on the roof.

Jake grin was unseen due to his but Jade knew he had that smirk on at the moment. Jake simply turns to the door that led inside and swiped the card. Jade frowned when he placed his palm on the palm scanner.

"That won't work." she said. "You'll need…" Her words died when the scan turned green and the door opened. "How…?"

"After you?" Jake said as he opened the door wider.

Jade walks by him. "Someone's getting lucky tonight."

"Let's live and find out."

* * *

[Arkham Asylum: Gotham City, New Jersey]  
[June 8, 12:57:03 EST]

There were many forms of torture. Some people used starvation. Others used small shocks. And the true masters of the art let their victims watch someone they love die slowly while being completely unable to do anything about that.

But this was hell.

"I can't believe we were caught!" Deadpool called out for the umpteenth time in fifteen months. "I knew that girl with the huge tits was trouble! I just couldn't help myself!"

Slade sighed heavily. He could deal with the serum surging through his body without his brain going insane. He could deal with looking Trigon eye-to-eye. Hell, he was alright with people shooting him for information. But being locked in a cell with his annoying talkative not-as-good younger brother was something that Slade could not handle. What was worse is that no matter how many times Slade broke Wade's neck, the man had _more_ to talk about.

But something had caught Slade's attention. Apparently some idiot had broken into the asylum and was just taking out guards left and right. Slade thought nothing against it. He had heard that the Joker was to return to the asylum. It was probably just Harley Quinn coming to his rescue again.

A guard flew past their cell, crashing onto the floor and tumbling. Slade's brows crease. If this was Harley, she was not holding anything back and possibly using that hammer of hers. How else

He was not expecting the newest Black Spider to step in front of his cell.

"Let me guess, Ra's?" The mysterious man said nothing. "A quiet type huh? That's new."

"Yeah! You spider men are supposed to be talkative and obnoxious." Deadpool adds.

Jake put his index finger on the glass, a small laser cutting through the glass slowly. Soon he had given his father and uncle an exit out of their cell until he realized that they were both chained to the back wall. With a sigh, Jake nears the duo. Every step he took, he released a metal "stinger" from the dorsal side of his wrists. The bladed weapons grew to a total of three feet before letting off a slight green glow.

"Kryptonian blades? That's new as well." Slade said as the chains were practically diced. The man stood up and stretched in the gray suit. "Ah… It feels good to be free."

Jake went to free his uncle before he pauses and drives his blades through the man's chest.

"We're even now…" Jake whispers in his uncle's ear as he withdraws his blood-stained blades and sliced the chains. "Now get up."

Slade studied the assassin who was staring down at the bloodied Wade. The two brothers knew this plan well. Wade would pretend to be dead, Slade would get the jump on the would-be assassin, and the two would kill the poor bastard together.

This man, a warrior trained by Ra's or not, was no different.

Jake caught his father moving for him and duck under his blow. Wade's foot trips the black-clad man and he falls backwards. Yet, thanks to his new reflexes, Jake was able to roll out of the way before Wade could pounce on him.

"Let's see if you're smart," Slade said as he stood next to Wade. "There are two of us and one of you. You should either leave now or attempt a game you won't win."

Jake smirks beneath his mask before four robotic "spider legs" shout forth from the backpack he wore. This surprises both of the Wilson brothers while Jake wipes his stingers in front of him. Ra's wanted him to test his suit out and this would be the perfect way.

"We need to move." Cheshire said from behind the two. "Warden Sharpe just sent some more men down here."

"I'm not leaving without my gun and someone's head in my hands." Wade replied crossing his arms.

"Wade…"

"Hm?"

Slade punched his brother squarely in his jaw.

"Shut up." Slade said before looking at the man that freed them. "I'm assuming you can handle the others?" Jake nodded. "Well then we'll leave you to it. But I will give you a warning. The next time you and I meet, I will kill you."

Jade watched as Jake just walks out of cell, his spider legs retracting as he headed off to fight the TYGER guards coming. This new Jake was interesting yet twice as dangerous as the guy that had left. She wanted that Jake back.

Especially when he discovers _who_ she had been with over the years…

"I thought you killed all of your partners?" Slade asked Jade.

"Trust me, I tried killing him. He just didn't stay down." Cheshire replied. "Come on. Spider can handle the rest."

"Spider? Is that what we're calling him?" Slade questioned.

"What is he? The _amazing_ Spiderman? The _ultimate_ Spiderman? Or just-"

"Let's go before I find a way to kill you. You've already been poisoned." Jade said as she walked away.

"What? I'm already…" The mercenary was stopped when his stomach began to rumble. "Oh shit…"

"Yeah, I hear." Slade says as he thinks about the mysterious Black Spider. He knew the previous Spider, a man named John. His suit was nothing like the one Slade had just witnessed. And his fighting style… There was something odd about this one.

He just had to figure out what it was.

* * *

[Jake's Apartment: Gotham City, New Jersey]  
[June 8, 22:03:56 EST]

He inhaled deeply as he stepped into his former home. Someone had been keeping it clean and that someone was not here. Then again, Raven did not like messes. Though he did notice a few candles on the end tables and coffee table as well as a _TeenZing_ magazine.

"Who knew Rachel was into gossip?" Jake questioned himself before tapping a button near the center of his suit. The black material retreated, all of it going to the four-legged spider-like backpack. "Alright you, you can take a break."

The backpack hopped off of Jake and crawled towards his bedroom. The machine was a cybernetic spider that connected with Jake personally though it could act on its own accord to protect its master or someone Jake gave the order to save. Sadly, Jake had come to realize that the spider had become his only acquaintance since training with Ra's compared to the number of associates he had in school. He hated to admit it, but he was somewhat lonely now.

When the machine stopped in front of his door, apparently alerted by someone else's presence, Jake prepared himself for a quick battle. Again, he had studied with Ra's and Shiva recently. He doubted that a lot of would-be threats could harm him unless they had some form of gadgetry or weapon while he didn't. However, when the four-legged robot scurried past the intruder, Jake realized that it had to be someone other than Jade that his comrade had deemed friendly. It took only but a few seconds for him to guess who.

"And here I thought it was Jade that had it in for me." Jake said. Talia stepped out of Jake's bedroom, a small scar marring her right cheek. "You want something Boss Lady or is Nyssa hidden somewhere outside with a shot at my forehead?"

"You ran into Shiva. When?" Jake's brows rose.

"Did you date the detective or become one?" Jake returned. "I met Shiva before I 'died'. I wasn't looking for her. It was just a fated meeting."

"That is how you were able to progress so quickly. She taught you her style of martial arts. Something…" Talia paused. "How did you do it? We were all certain that you died. Robin left Bruce in rage because of your death and Artemis eventually quit the Team. They saw you die. We had your DNA."

"I am a man of many mysteries." Jake said. "Now if you'd excuse me, Jade will probably be here soon and I have an important business meeting tomorrow."

"Business meeting?" Talia responded. "Since when did you do business?"

"What can I say? I had an amazing teacher. She taught me that every plan needs financing." Jake said as he walked towards the woman. "I just took my grandparents' company, bought a few shares here and there, some real estate to fall back on, and bam. No more Kane. All Cross."

"Cross Industries…"

"Enterprise, but close enough." Jake said, still nearing her. His brows rise a bit as she backs against the wall next to his door. "You seem surprised."

"What did you return for? I'm sure my father answered all your questions about the pit. And you have already made your point about not killing. So what are you doing here?" Talia asked.

"Maybe it has nothing to do with the League and just a certain member…" Jake saw Talia take in a deep breath when he places a hand on the wall behind her. "Like…" Jake leaned so his lips were inches away from her right ear. "Who shot Adeline Kane?"

"I don't know such a thing." Talia said. "Your mother's death was something that the League did not pursue."

"Then maybe you can answer who set me up?" Jake questioned.

"I… I don't know that either." Talia said, her hands skimming his back and side for weapons. Subconsciously she was also checking for where his muscles were most defined. "You certainly have lost your respect for personal space… Or you're serious about this…"

"You're hot, but I'm afraid you're a bit too old for me." Jake said with a smirk as he straightens himself in front of Talia. "Besides, working with your lover never works out… Or so they say."

"Is that what you tell Cheshire?" Talia responds. Jake just shrugs. "I know you Jake. You are here for something other than information. Something you find worth being back and under our watch."

Jake gives Talia a small kiss on her cheek.

"Or maybe it's exactly what I said?" Talia glares at Jake as he walks passed her into his room. "Not everyone is like Bruce, Talia. Don't think we're all unable to commit."

"I didn't-"

"No. You just thought it." Jake said. "Am I right?" Talia does not respond. How in the hell did he know that? "You're welcome to stay."

Talia watches as he disrobes his shirt before heading for the adjourning master bathroom. Her eyes scan the mark on his back before her mind attempts to recognize it. Once she accepted that said marking was new to her, she figured that Klarion had to know what it was. And after he identified what it was, she would find out who applied it.

A small smile came onto Talia's face.

Her father chose right with this one.

* * *

**Author's Note: **I'm sure no one saw him becoming the Black Spider. I wanted to intergrade some Marvel elements for Deadpool's sake. This chapter will probably be the smallest chapter of this entire story, so that's a head's up. Also, thanks for the reviews, favs, and follows, again I check every one of those whenever I get the time. To answer one review now, no, this story will not just be around Gotham City and its characters despite having the Arkham City theme going on. In fact (spoiler alert!) Arkham City will not even be mentioned until about midway-ish and won't be seen until the end. There are tons of story arcs in-between now and then. Anyway, by now you should know what comes next. Send in a review or PM for any thoughts, comments, or questions. Later.


	3. TYL Arc: Chapter 2

Arkham Risings

Three Years Later Arc

Ch.2: Remission

[Star City, California]  
[June 13, 13:16:03 PST]

Who was the Black Spider? She had been wondering that for the past few days now. Of course, she had promised herself and her mother that she would not go investigate the guy that had freed Deathstroke, Deadpool, Two-Face, and Poison Ivy from Arkham Asylum. But there were a total of thirty-two TYGER guards defeated and in critical condition and no one to blame but the "Black Spider".

"Miss, your coffee." Artemis snaps out of her thoughts and looks at the cup being offered next to the register.

"Thank you." Artemis said grabbing her drink carefully and walking to a nearby table.

Roughly four years ago around this time, her mother returned home and they began speaking about a better future. She was then enrolled at Gotham Academy and was forced into a world of uniform. Yet there she met Jake Cross. She will never regret sitting at his table and talking to him. She only regrets that, in a way, he admitted that he loved her and she had to wait until after his was buried and no one was around to respond.

Artemis let out a quiet sigh as she sipped the warm drink. She hated to admit it, but a part of her would've liked to see Jake take the shot. Artemis knew that Jake had plenty of times to kill Wally- and admittedly her as well- so she found it hard to believe that he would draw in a crowd just to do so. In her mind, _if_ Jake had have shot Wally, they both would be alive and well today. Jake did not kill, not even people he hated.

"Miss Crock," Artemis looked to see Dr. Serling Roquette standing next to her with a smile. "I thought you would be on the other side of the country visiting your mother."

"Dr. Roquette," Artemis tries to put on a smile but could only do a half-ass job of it. "What are you doing here? I thought you were working in the lab today?"

"Call it a day off." The woman stated. "And you should be visiting your mom. You were so happy when classes ended and yet here you are." Dr. Roquette pauses. "Is everything alright with you and Wally?"

"Yes! Everything is fine with us." Artemis said quickly before rising. "I do have to go home and pack. See you in August!"

Artemis practically scurried out of the café though she was cautious about spilling her drink or running into someone. This was nothing new either. Whenever she was caught thinking of Jake- especially with M'gann around- Artemis would leave wherever to be alone. She was with Wally now and Jake should not occupy her thoughts like he did. But she continued to hear his voice at nights as if he was staying on the phone until they fell asleep. She still felt his arms securing her whenever Wally was either working late or just not home. And she could still see that smirk he gave whenever he wanted to throw in a coy statement.

All in all, three years since his death and she still misses Jake dearly. Going back to Gotham would only intensify said feelings.

"Oh boy…" Artemis lets out and she strolls along the sidewalk. "Here we go again…"

* * *

[Gotham City, New Jersey]  
[June 13, 17:02:56 EST]

Jake walked around the large office on the top floor of a building he just purchased. Creating military weapons was never in his agenda as a kid, but he knew that he needed funds to further his research on the one called Solomon Grundy.

Apparently, whatever it was that kept Grundy from staying six feet under did the same for Ra's and Vandal Savage. The difference was the effect it had on their minds. Ra's had to spend at least six hours alone as he regained his sanity after being exposed to whatever. Grundy was insane twenty-four seven and twice as much on Sundays. Yet Vandal seemed sane and collected at all times.

"Mr. Cross," Jake looked at the woman with dark hair styled in a pixie cut. "The woman who applied for secretary is here."

"Send her in." Jake said to his receptionist, Cassie Sorrow. He listened to Cassie's soft footsteps leave and stared at the window at Gotham City. "Where crime never sleeps…"

"So when does the furniture arrive?" Jake chuckles. "I'm sorry. I didn't know I said something funny, Mr. Cross."

"Well Miss Tate, you'll have to forgive me." Jake said rounding to stare at the woman. "You somehow bare the striking resemblance of a woman who I know to be akin to a cold-hearted killer. Yet in your résumé it doesn't say anything of that sort."

Talia's brow arches. "You knew it was me? How?"

"Called Lex. How else?" Jake returned.

"And since when did you have Lex Luthor's number?" Talia asked.

"When his former employee asked for my job and I needed to check her past and credentials." Jake stated. "Needless to say that he did not compliment you much. Not after you sold a good portion of his company to your beloved detective." Talia glowers at Jake's words, though the young man held up a hand. "No need for that. I just have to make sure that you're here for you and not the League."

"I'm here to find out your secret agenda." Talia spoke. "And to tell you and Jade that you have a mission." The woman pauses. "Where is she?"

Jake frowned. "I thought she had a mission which is why she ran out earlier but apparently I was wrong."

"Nevertheless," Talia said. "The League wants you two to kill a girl; Mia Darden. She is the new sidekick to the Green Arrow and-"

"No."

Talia blinked. "Excuse me?"

"I said no, as in I'm not going to do it." Jake replied. "The last time you guys put me on a mission with a Green Arrow sidekick, things didn't end so well. I literally died."

"If you should fall in love with this one as well, I'm certain that Cheshire will make sure that it will never happen again by ripping your heart out." said Talia as she made her way to the large floor-to-ceiling windows. "I know that you're using this as a front Jake. Tell me, what is it that you're looking for? Maybe I can help?"

"The last time I asked you something, you put a blade under my chin. Do you really think I'm going to ask you for anything else?" Talia shrugs lightly.

"I could have killed you, but I didn't."

Jake hums as he stares out the window.

"And now you'll never have that chance again. Whatever will you do?" Talia glances at the taller figure next to her. "Oh well. We will begin business in two weeks. I need to make sure that certain resources are here before I reveal myself to the world. In time for the Fourth."

"You are hiding something and I will find out what it is." Talia said.

"You're partially right. I am hiding something but you won't find out unless I tell you." Jake replied before stretching and turning. "By the way, your dad and I were talking and I just have a small question. After living for a century now, are your eggs even able to produce an heir? I mean, if I'm going to go through this whole Demon Trials crap I would rather not win a fixed prize, if you get what I'm saying."

"You are disgusting." spat Talia though it only made the young man laugh.

"Whatever _Miranda_. Just know that the next time you want information, ask for it instead of beating around the bush. That never works." Jake said walking towards the door. "Oh, and tell Nyssa that hiding in the vents doesn't work on me anymore. That's how Shiva found me."

Talia watched Jake exit the office, closing the door behind him. Seconds later, Nyssa dropped down from the ceiling vent.

"How the hell did he know I was up there?" Nyssa practically growls. "Father won't tell us anything about the boy's training. And that suit… How the hell did he create that?"

"I don't know and unfortunately I wasn't able to get much from him." Talia replied. "Whatever he wants though, it's here… Somewhere."

Nyssa steps next to her sister.

"Do you think he's dumb enough to go against us?"

"He was smart enough to fool us the first time." Talia answers. "Don't forget. We trained him. He knows us better than we think."

"Impos-"

"Shiva and Father have given him the information that we wouldn't. Our best bet is to hold leverage over him." Talia interrupts.

Nyssa take a moment to think before smirking.

"I'll go find Cheshire." Nyssa said.

"And leave Artemis to me." Talia responded.

* * *

[Gotham City Cemetery: Gotham City, New Jersey]  
[June 13, 17:30:25 EST]

"Here lies Jake Nathaniel Wilson… Son, brother, and…" Jake paused as he read his headstone. "Lover?"

"Artemis had it put there." Another young man said as he neared the assassin. "For a minute, I was worried that the spell did not work."

Jake put a hand on the man's shoulder.

"Rest easy Kaldur. I'm alive and well." Jake said. "So how has the move been? I'm sure working for your father cannot be enjoyable."

Kaldur releases a heavy breath. "It isn't easy, lying to my friends. They have no idea what we are doing. How we are saving the world." Kaldur stares upwards. "And you were right. This is a very lonely road."

"It is." Jake spoke. "As for Rachel's spell, I think I should be thanking you."

"Thanking me?" replied the Atlantanean as he turned his attention to Jake. "Why?"

"Rachel's spell was to save me from death. Apparently I can take a blade of water through the chest so long as it misses my heart." Jake said. "Your blow didn't 'kill me'. The fall did. And therefore…"

"It didn't activate until you hit the ground…" Kaldur finished. "You are a strange man, Jake Cross."

"Strange, but rich." Jake replies. "Now, tell me what you and Gemini have found out. Talia updated Ra's when they were alone and while I could've stuck around to hear, I figured I could get her trust."

"My father has been entrusted by Lex and Vandal to overthrow Ocean Master. But he will do it after the death of Ted Kord." Kaldur explained. "The Light has also been working with another factor that I do not know. Someone or something not on Earth. Or at least, Vandal has been in contact with them."

"Interesting…" Jake said. "If what you're saying is true, then the others members have their own agenda. Which leads me to question if you and I will find ourselves in a very sticky predicament."

"It seems as though that that might happen. Vandal and Klarion host private meetings amongst themselves. It's an alliance within the alliance." Kaldur explained.

Jake nods. "I understand. Well, just do what you have to do to survive. Don't worry about me or anyone else. If you can bring down one member of the Light, then so be it. Don't follow any rules but the ones you make."

"You do the same." Kaldur said before pausing. "But if you should run into the new Young Justice League I-"

"Is that what they're calling themselves?" Jake interrupts.

"Yes. And there is someone on there that I want to save. Her name is Tula. She and I have a history." Jake nods slowly, egging Kaldur to continue. "We are no longer together. Once I aligned myself with my father…"

"I understand." Jake replied as he puts his hands in his pants pockets. "Believe me, I know the feeling all too well."

"Speaking of Artemis," Jake paused in his departure as Kaldur called to him. "Will you ever tell her the truth?"

"Depends. The truth you and I know is that it was staged. The truth that the majority of the world knows is that the former Aqualad saved his friend." Jake replied. "The latter is the truth she already knows."

Kaldur stood quietly as the other man left. There were very few words that could accurately describe Jake Cross. He found himself wondering why he aligned himself with the thief. Jake had said quite bluntly that by the end of the day, they would be on their own. Jake would go his way and Kaldur would go his. Jake also pointed out that this "mission" of theirs would probably destroy any personal ties that they may have. While Tula was dating the forming Aqualad and new Tempest, Garth, Kaldur had destroyed any chances of getting back with her with his guidance under Black Manta.

A buzz from the Atlantean's watch caused him to bring his wrist towards his lips.

"I'm here." Kaldur spoke.

_"We have a meeting with Ocean Master."_ Black Manta informed his son. _"It's time to move after Ted."_

"I'm on my way." Kaldur returned, ending the call.

How did Jake stay within the League of Assassins for this long without killing? If not the intended targets than one of his co-workers? Kaldur did not know. He just knew he had a job and he would do said job without problem. Ted Kord had to die.

* * *

[Batcave]  
[June 13, 17:46:30 EST]

Jason Todd was not a pushover. He was one of the toughest fighters there was. In his own mind, he should be leader of the YJL or at least lead one of their missions. But because of the man currently countering everything he threw at him and his "father", that was not so.

Bastards…

"Jason, calm down. Let me come to you." Dick instructed. "If you keep coming at me like a bat out of hell, I'm going to keep knocking you on your ass."

Jason grunts. If this had have been anyone else but Dick, Jason would have gone in a blind rage. He hated to lose. But of course this was the only person Jason thought gave a damn about him. Bruce had been so busy with this or that that Jason hardly saw him and Alfred was Alfred. He was paid to care. This left Dick who Jason grew a strong brotherly bond with.

"Well if you'd just let me hit you then I wouldn't be on my ass, now would I?" The teen growled back.

Dick sighed. "Come on. Get up." Jason was somewhat reluctant to take the offering hand and not try to toss Dick down. "Let's take a break."

"Fine." Jason said. "Question: How do I get in touch with the True Master?"

Dick laughs. "A guy with your anger should not go anywhere near the True Master. She will just annoy you to death."

"Then can I take the Red X suit out for a spin?" Jason saw Dick's face morph to something akin to their father's. "It was just a suggestion…"

"You know why you can't wear the suit Jason."

"I know. I know. It's too dangerous and you don't think I can handle it." Jason droned on.

Dick only exhales heavily while crossing his arms. It was hard to make Jason understand the power that comes with the Red X suit. If someone like Jason were to get inside of it and learned how to operate it to the skills that he and Jake had, then there would be serious consequences. Jason did not have the self-control needed to wield the capabilities of the Red X suit, and Dick was looking at both sides of the playing field here.

Both Jake and Dick became Red X for their own reasons and used the suit for different causes. Yet in both cases, both were able to put their personal feelings- for the most part that is- behind them when doing whatever they had to do. Dick had to go face-to-face with Starfire and Jake had to put his anger aside in order to not saw Roy's or Wally's heads off. Jason did not have that self-control yet and until then the Red X suit was off limits.

"You're worse than Bruce, you know?"

Dick realized that he was once again staring out into space. He did that often now and blamed it on the time he had on his hands. Years ago, he did not have time to stare wondrously into space while thinking about one little thing. Between being Dick Grayson and Robin, there just was not enough time. Now he had too much time and not a lot of ways to spend it.

"So," Dick began. "How're things with the Team? I'm sure with the new recruits you have time to relax."

"I don't want to relax." Jason said. "I want to be able to lead missions just like you and Bruce. But now that Superboy and Miss Martian are making teams for certain missions, I keep getting stuck with Mia of all people."

Dick only chuckles. "Jason, I hate to break it to you, but you have a crush on Mia and-"

"I hate her!" Jason interrupts. "She never follows orders and-"

"Did you forget that you are never the one to give orders?" Dick's interruption causes Jason to grunt quietly. "Jason, give her a chance. She had a rough childhood and now trying to make sure that no one else goes through what she has. Sometimes she may get a little ahead of herself, but you get pretty hot under the collar too."

"Yeah, but when I do I take it out on someone like Mammoth or Gizmo. Guys that deserve it." Jason said.

"No one deserves you taking your anger out on them. Not even those who caused you to be angry." Dick replied.

Jason sighs heavily. "You sound like Alfred."

"More like the True Master who taught me that very same lesson." Dick stated. "Which is why you are not ready to meet her or the Red X suit. Remember the only thing that separates you and them-"

"Is the choices I make," Jason finished. "Yeah, yeah, I know… Seriously Dick, you are getting old."

Dick laughs. "I'm still young enough to kick your ass."

"What?! You got lucky!" Jason retorts. "Let's go!"

"No, no, I think that's enough for today. Besides, you should go do your rounds. Make sure that no one on the YJL radar is out and about." Dick said.

Jason nodded. "Yeah. And hopefully Mia won't be here. I hate her…"

Dick laughs again. Mia and Jason's love/hate relationship was something that all of the older members of the Team joked about. Well, most of them. M'gann made the eerie comparison with Jake/Jason and Artemis/Mia thus turning a joke into something grim. Dick tried to ignore it on certain days, but there was no denying that there were resemblances amongst the four. Jason had Jake's anger and the guy's ability to turn said anger into fighting skills. At the same time Mia and Artemis were both protégés of Oliver Queen and had rough upbringings. They were both headstrong and confident in their abilities, with a soft spot for Jake (Artemis) and Jason (Mia).

_"Superboy to Robin. Can you hear me?"_ Jason quickly made his way to the batcomputer.

"Yeah. What is it?" he asked.

_"Mad Mod is downtown in Gotham. Meet with Wonder Girl and Speedy to take him out." _Jason groaned.

"Does _she_ have to be here?" he complained.

_"This isn't up for discussion. Move out."_

Dick watched the screen go black and snickered before moving to pat Jason on the shoulder.

"Go get her Romeo." Jason practically rips his shoulder from beneath Dick's hand, treading towards his costume.

"I hate her…" Jason mumbles.

Dick grins. "Sure you do. Sure you do…"

* * *

[Gotham City, New Jersey]  
[June 13, 18:04:49 EST]

Mad Mod… What an interesting person he was. One would think that someone of his age and caliber would never do something as petty as robbing a museum. The poor old guy just couldn't let the past go, Jake figured.

But his attention was on the three heroes chasing after the old fool. The first one- the blonde female- was obviously some Wonder Woman reincarnation. He correctly dubbed her as Wonder Girl though his thoughts went to Dona Troy, the Wonder Girl he met during the Titans last hunt for Red X. He wondered if this new Wonder Girl was as good as Dona Troy or if she, like so many other "replacements", was nothing but a cheap knock-off.

He then studies the second female, this one a remake of his former girlfriend, Artemis. But her costume was wrong, really, _really_ wrong because it didn't look like the Green Arrow's or Artemis's. It was red like the original Speedy's, as in Roy Harper. And Jake still hated Roy Harper with every fiber in his body. Not to the point that he would kill the sorry bastard, but enough to beat him severely if Roy ever said something as small as the wrong time of the day.

Finally Jake looked at the new Robin and scowled beneath his mask. This Robin was not Dick, though he assumed that Dick would not want to be running around calling himself The Boy Wonder anymore. But he digresses. At the moment, this Robin seemed darker and more aggressive than Dick. Jake had seen Dick's aggressive side many times, many of those times Red X was on the receiving end of said aggression. Or was _supposed to be_ on the receiving end of Dick's aggression. Jake was too smart and evasive to just sit and take undeserving blows.

Carefully watching the scene undetected, Jake could feel his body tingle. This sensation was not new as it was the same feeling he once got when he was about to do a heist. However, his mind was not planning or plotting a heist. It was scheming on ways to defeat the three teens in front of him… And Mad Mod just for the hell of it.

Without a word, the Black Spider swung off of the building, chasing his prey through the streets. He swung above them, doing nothing but casting a ghost of a shadow on them. However, when Mad Mod runs into a residential area, he altered his choice of transportation by leaping from tree to tree, still staying unseen while keeping track of them. Jake watched the new Robin trip up Mad Mod before he launches himself in front of the Englishman.

Mad Mod came to a tumbling halt as the mysterious man landed in front of him, apparently glaring at him.

"Who is that?" Speedy whispers to her two teammates, unsure on how to handle this situation.

"I don't know and I don't care." Jason responded. "We have our orders. Let's take out Mad Mod."

Jake made his way to Mad Mod slowly as the Englishman stood up. The tingling sensation in his body grew more and more with each step though he had schooled himself not to just outright run into battle. That would have startled everyone and probably would have ended his original plan.

"W-Well hello there lad! Name's Mod. Mad Mod!" The man stammered while extending a shaking hand.

Instead of shaking the offered hand, Jake simply tied the man up in his black webbing. He made sure to gag him with the webs as well as he found Mad Mod's accent a bit annoying after a period of time. And when the man was nothing more but a black cocoon, he kicked him to the side before eying the teens that held his attention.

"I don't know who you are," the new Robin began. "But this is our fight. We didn't need your help. So thanks but next time leave the fight to the professionals."

"Modest much…" Cassie mumbles as she crosses her arms.

Jake raised a brow beneath his mask. Dick had moments of arrogance but this guy? He was in a whole new league. Jake assumed that this arrogance came from being in Dick's shadow. This Robin had a lot to live up to and did not want to be saved by anyone, Dick especially.

"You don't talk much, do you?" Jason continued. Jake simply fired a web at the teen, Robin dodging it. "Good. Because I hate talking."

"Robin wait!" Wonder Girl called to no avail.

Jake grinned as Robin ran towards him as the tingling ceased. Now his mind immediately went into reading the new Boy Wonder's movements, almost like a sixth sense that foretold him of danger.

Right punch blocked.

Left punch dodged.

Feint right, left kick caught.

Jake shook his head in disappointment as he held Jason's left leg. Being the prodigy of Batman and the first Robin, Jake expected more. Then again, Bruce set the standards high being trained by the League of Assassins while Dick was almost on equal standards finding the True Master for training. Maybe this Robin didn't get the memo that he needed to find some training _outside_ of the Batcave?

With a simple twirl, the Black Spider had tossed Robin into a nearby van. The boy hit the side of the vehicle hard, the alarm cutting on, before falling onto his hands and knees.

"Stay away from him!" Jake heard before his body reacted in a fashion that threw him back three years.

Mia's eyes widened beneath her mask as the man that had just thrown Robin like he weighed nothing caught her arrow. This would put this man on the same levels as Green Arrow and Batman. And while she hated to admit it, but there was no way that she and her two teammates could best him.

"Guys I think we should-" Before Mia could voice her plan for retreat, Jason had risen and was ready for round two. Again, Mia did not see a fight going their way tonight.

"How about you catch this?!" But of course Jason did not see it that way and launched for the man who appeared to be focused on Mia and Cassie.

Jake side-stepped Robin before blocking the spinning roundhouse kick the teen launched after his landing. He allowed the new hero to throw a series of punches without doing anything but dodging them whilst standing in the same spot. His patience was running thin due to the lack of control that this Robin had over his predecessor. Again, Dick has gone off the deep end a few times, but by the end of Red X's life Dick had calmed down. This guy was all rage all the time.

He wouldn't last long, Jake mused.

Jake quickly executed a punch to Jason's gut, the boy's breath leaving him momentarily as he folds over. The thief simply removes his fist and allows the boy to collapse onto his knees. He expected more than one blow to finish off Robin but oh well. He would not worry about it.

"Get back here…" Jason mutters to the man walking away from him. "I said turn around!"

Jake could feel a sense of danger surge through his body and he is forced to drop into a one-handed push-up position as a grappling hook goes whizzing by his head and into the dented van. Jake turned his head to see Robin standing up, with another grappling hook aimed for him. This kid wasn't looking to fight him anymore… He was looking to maim or even kill him!

"Dodge this." Jason mutters before firing the second hook at his opponent.

Jake pushed himself into the air, twirling as the hook ricochet off of the ground where he previously was and went elsewhere. His trained eyes caught Wonder Girl at the end of the grappling hooks now tugging hard before he back flips over the van she was trying to pull on top of him.

Landing, Jake smirked.

Things just got interesting…

Running towards the three, the assassin made a quick analysis on who to take out first. Of course it came down to Speedy, who would become a nuisance like her former predecessors if Jake were to allow her to stay at a distance and fire arrows all night long. Leaping clear over the van again, Jake lands in striking range of the new Speedy, only for Wonder Girl and Robin to engage him from his sides.

Predictable, Jake thinks as he begins to block and dodge everything that came from the two teens. Wonder Girl was the brawler undoubtedly. Her punches were not as precise and calculated as any of the former Team members that had Black Canary's training. And Robin, unsurprisingly, was using batarangs as makeshift shanks to slash or stab Jake. If Jake was Red X, he would have questioned Robin if Batman knew that he was attempting to use lethal force. However, he was no longer Red X and his attention was focusing on not being slashed or stabbed, not mocking his opponents.

But of course Speedy would get an arrow fired off and he would have to momentarily back away as the arrow bounces off of the road. The temporary retreat was something that Robin took as a sign of weakness and charged for the Black Spider. Jake was only slightly surprised that the teen would be as gutsy- yet reckless- as he was. He obviously proved to be the greater fighter and yet the boy continued to move for him.

For Jason, this was more personal than this spider guy could know. First Batman was on his back about his actions on a previous mission. Then Dick, not only beats him in a spar, but forbade him from using the Red X suit _again_. And now this guy swings in, defeats the guy he was chasing, and somehow managed to fight he and Cassie off without breaking a sweat. Though to be fair, Jason wouldn't know due to the man's face being completely covered… Still, he did so easily and Jason was not okay with that. If he wanted to become leader, he would have to prove that he could beat pricks like this guy.

Unfortunately, Jake had ran out of patience and catches Jason's arm, twisting it painfully before slinging him into Wonder Girl.

"Pity…" Black Spider muttered before swinging off.

"Are you okay?" Wonder Girl asked Robin as she helped him up, only for him to rip his arm out of her grip.

"Get off of me. I'm fine." he spat. "What the hell was that? You two just watched me go down without helping?! What kind of teammates are you?!"

Cassie glared at the older boy. "What are you talking about? We were trying to tell you to stay back so we could devise a plan, figure out who he was! You attacked him before any of that could happen!"

"I made the right move! He would have-"

"You aren't the leader! I was!" Cassie's words gained a growl from Jason. "And you went against orders! Face it Robin, if you want to be leader, you have to listen to others first."

"I'm going home. You two can report this without me." Robin said. "And Speedy, next time, hit him."

Mia remained silent. Normally she would have argued that he caught her arrow instead of simply dodging it. But there was something odd about the Black Spider that she did not trust. He came. He took out Mad Mod. He baited Robin into a fight. And then he leaves. Why? What did he have to gain from such a small and impromptu fight? What was he after?

* * *

[Jade's Apartment: Gotham City, New Jersey]  
[June 14, 08:03:12 EST]

Jade woke up with the knowledge that her sister would be in town later that day. Since Jake's "death" she and Artemis have gone from sibling rivals to bitter enemies. Their mother had tried to build some bridge between the two sisters but to no avail. Jade openly declared that it was Artemis's fault for Jake's death, something that Artemis wholeheartedly argued against while mentally agreeing with her older sister. Jade found it quite unfair that after Jake left, Artemis had Wally to lean on while Jade had no one.

And then _he_ came into her life…

Jade got out of her bed, the large shirt she wore covering her body until mid-thigh where it stopped. She stretched before pausing at the sight of her dirty clothes neatly put in a pile.

"Your parents had you whipped." she said to seemingly no one and yet still got a laugh from the kitchen. She walked out of her room to see Jake drinking a cup of tea, leaning against her counter. "What are you doing here? Is it a mission or did you just want to see me?"

"I wanted to know where you were for the majority of yesterday." Jade's arms cross, showing her disapproval of his question. "I'm not going to hover over you all day Jade. We just got a mission and I wanted to tell you."

"You could've called." The female assassin remarks.

"So you're not going to tell me, huh? Fine. We're all entitled to our secrets." Jake stated as he changed subjects. "As for our mission, it's Mia Darden, the new Speedy."

Jade's lips curled into a sneer.

"Another one?"

"Unfortunately," Jade sighs as she walks to her small sofa. "You shouldn't look so down. Killing is normally your pleasurable pastime."

"Some things have changed." Jade told him.

"And some haven't. So why not tell me who he is and we can save time? I give you my word, I won't kill him." said Jake before taking a gulp of his tea.

Jade sits down. "What are we? Married?"

"No," Jake answers as he swallows. "I just find it a double-standard that you could be jealous of Artemis and Talia and I can't even ask you who you've been with while I was away."

"Like I said. He's not important." Jake shook his head.

"You and I know that's not true. You were with him yesterday." Jake said. "But I'm not here to argue. I'm here to ask you of a favor. I have errand to run for Ra's. But I want to learn more about this new Young Justice League. I've already assessed Robin, Wonder Girl, and our target Speedy. Think you can find some more info for me?"

Jade's eyes narrowed. "You have another one of those 'grand plans' of yours?"

"Nothing of that sort." Jake said as his spider-backpack crawled into the room. Jade watches as it crawls up Jake and settles onto his back as the man sat the cup on the counter and moved to her. "I promise you, the next time I die, it'll probably be for real and not planned."

"Should I trust the Heir of the Demon?" Jade questioned quietly as he leaned to eye her directly, their noses nearly touching.

Instead of answering her, Jake gave her a rather lustful kiss. Jade replied with the same desire, if not more, as she found him one of the few people in the world to entice and satisfy her sexual urges. And as he pulled away, Jade found herself leaning forward in hopes that he would satisfy said cravings.

"Meet me at my place later." Jake said as he neared her slightly opened window and opened it wider. Jade watched as the black suit covered his body, starting from his back and then to his limbs. "And bring your friend. I'm dying to meet him."

With that, the limber man slithers out of her window and swings away, leaving Jade alone with her thoughts.

"Damn…" Jade muttered to herself. "It just had to be another Speedy…"

Jade found herself unable to grasp that idea. Jake fell for a Green Arrow protégé and she… Well she has had her fun with another. Coincidentally, the arrow prodigies have all been a part of Jake's lives, hating the first one, loving the second one, and now having to kill the third. Jade, too, has been connected to them but was nowhere near ready to tell Jake about her connections with Roy. Not now anyways.

* * *

[Gotham City, New Jersey]  
[June 14, 11:32:52 EST]

The spider was one of the greatest hunters in the world. It could either find its prey on its own will or let an unexpected meal fly straight into a trap. Being the newest Black Spider meant that Jake had to be like this. His predecessor, John "Johnny" LaMonica, was like that before he was killed on a mission. Jake had no intentions of becoming the Black Spider, but it gave him a place next to Ra's.

And what better place to be when he stabbed the old man's heart through with one of his stingers?

But Ra's was the last thing on Jake's mind at the moment. He was currently eying a familiar apartment and waiting for a more familiar blonde to show up. Jade may have "forgotten" to tell him that Artemis would be in town, but Jake would always know where his former girlfriend was. Not because he was a stalker, but because he lived up to his words. He vowed that nothing would happen to her whether they were together or not and he'd be damned if he reneged on his words.

_"Sprung! Sprung! Sprung!"_ Jake grunted at his "companion" singing in his ear.

"Quiet Ben or I'll scrap you." Jake said to his man-made "scarab".

The device hushed, obviously not a fan of that. Meanwhile Jake questioned if giving a machine a personality, emotions, and free will was such a bright idea. Sure, it meant that Ben could do what a normal computer could not and word Jake's emotions better than Jake could. But at the same time, it meant having another annoying voice in his head reminding him of things like his obvious love for Artemis.

Jake soon saw Artemis and Wally get out of cab, the redhead grabbing bags out of the trunk while Artemis paid the driver.

"Give me audio." Jake said quietly.

Another thing Jake found more useful in his new Black Spider suit that was not with his Red X suit was the ability to adjust the sound that his suit picked up. If needed be, Jake could make himself near deaf which would help him battle against Black Canary or any other person wielding a high-pitch scream. Or he could enhance his hearing to a greater range than the Red X suit like he was doing now.

"Feels good to be back in Gotham City." Wally said before closing the trunk. "We're ready to go."

"Come on. My mom's waiting." Artemis told him.

Jake silently sighed. He hadn't seen her in three years. He never really counted their moment on the roof of Gotham Embassy as their last meeting. In fact, he actually considered their meeting three months prior then as their last meeting. The afternoon that Artemis had caught up to him after football practice and hoped that they could hang out that afternoon. That was what he remembers as the offial last time he and Artemis talked.

That seemed so far away now…

Jake leapt from the roof, firing a web at Artemis's apartment building and pulling himself to the brick wall where he stuck perfectly. Carefully scaling the wall towards Artemis's bedroom window, avoiding the fire escape altogether, Jake silently gave the mental command to cloak him. Peering inside undetected, he watched Wally and Artemis share a few kisses in her bedroom before Wally left.

Jake bristled. He wanted Artemis badly and a part of him knew that they would still be together had it not been for his willingness to go along with Ra's mission. Yet the other part of him knew that Artemis was safer with Wally whether the former Titan could defend her from greater evils or not. Jake remembers why Deadpool kidnapped him and his sister and he remembers the unnamed assassin breaking into his home for his parents. He did not want that life for Artemis and therefore could not be with her until his ties with the League of Assassins had been cut off for good.

The blonde then shocks her invisible Peeping Tom when she opens her bag and reveals Jake's former football jersey. He watched Artemis shed the shirt she was wearing before putting his jersey on. Jake had to admit that seeing her bra-clad breasts was a great way to start the day and only hated that he could not see more.

Artemis sighs, nearing the window in her room. Jake remains where he is as she opens her windows and leans on the sill.

"You there?" Jake hesitated. Artemis was staring directly at him- more like _through_ him- and appeared to be talking to him. "It's been a while… I promised to visit on your birthday but I got caught up… You can understand, right?"

Jake frowned. Was she talking to his ghost? Was that it?

"I… Miss you…" Jake slowly reached a hand out, it being inches away from Artemis's right cheek. He traced the air around her face, afraid to touch her yet yearning to at the same time.

"Artemis," Jake quickly retracts his hand as Artemis turns to face Wally standing in her doorway. "I'm going to jet on over and see Dick. Did you need anything?"

Artemis smiles. "No, I'm fine. Tell Dick I said hi."

"Will do." Wally replied.

Artemis turned back to her window. For a second, she swore she felt _something_ out there. Maybe not the person she wanted to feel, but something was there. But when she leaned against the window again, nothing came but a cool breeze that opposed the warm feeling she just felt. That felt almost like him.

"Jake…" Artemis whispers as she closes her eyes.

Why did she still care so much? He was a thief. He helped kill people. He slept with her sister while they were dating! She should hate him. But she couldn't.

"Artemis? Are you alright?" Artemis heard her mother question from the doorway.

"I'm fine," The young woman says without turning around. "Just thinking…"

If only things had been different…

* * *

[Bludhaven, New Jersey]  
[June 14, 12:36:12 EST]

The Black Spider… What a dumb name, Jason thought as he slipped into the warehouse undetected. Last night he met the new Black Spider and lost with the help of Cassie. He would add that Mia aided as well, but she did little to nothing at all.

"Bitch." Jason muttered as he thought about the girl who reported his defeat to M'gann. "Useless bitch."

Jason paused and looked around the highly equipped warehouse. This is where Dick and Barbara go to meet up some nights. It was, as Dick said, a different batcave that allowed all members of the Bat family to come in. Therefore, Jason had accessed to it. He just did not want Dick know that he accessed it.

"Where is it?" Jason questioned himself quietly. "Damn it Dick, where did you hide it?"

Jason knew that Dick had the original Robin costume locked inside the warehouse with tons of gadgets that even Bruce was a bit hesitant to use. Dick was still a believer of using non-lethal force but had an assortment of lethal weapons just encase some all-powered being like Trigon was to arrive again. And the one lethal weapon that Jason was looking for was the only one Dick had forbidden him to use; the Red X suit.

Jason looked around. Dick was pretty smart, he'll give him that. But if someone was able to break into Titan's Tower and steal the suit then surely Jason could walk into his adopted brother's warehouse and "borrow" it with less trouble. Now if only he could find the stupid thing.

Sighing, Jason moved to sit in front of Dick's main computer. Seated in the rolling chair, Jason eyed the area. The Red X suit was most likely here instead of in its original place in Titan's Tower. Jason knew that Dick's relationship with the original Titan had fallen after Jake Wilson's death for some reason so he doubted that any of them aided Dick in hiding.

The door opening startled Jason though he did not overreact. He knew that the guiltier he looked the worse this would be.

"What are you doing here?" Dick asked as he walks into his warehouse.

"Just searching for someone on the mainframe." Dick frowns. "Black Spider. I didn't want Bruce to find out."

Dick nods. "Ah… And how much have you found out with the computer on standby?" Jason eyes the large dark screen. "So what were you really doing here? And tell the truth Jason. For both of our sakes."

Sighing, the teen rose. "I came to find the Red X suit." Dick's eyes narrow. "I got my ass kicked by the Black Spider and Mia was no help!"

"She did what a leader is supposed to do. She was studying her opponent and, if what she said was true, he was out of your league Jason. With or without the Red X suit." Dick said.

"But if I had the suit things would have been different." Dick shakes his head. "He wouldn't be able to do those things if I had the Red X suit."

"You really believe that, huh?" Jason nodded. "Fine. The suit's in my bedroom closet at the mansion." Jason's jaw drops. "Yeah. I figured the best place to hide it is in a closet full of clothes. No large safe rooms this time."

"You're serious?" A skeptical Jason said. Again Dick gives his adopted brother an assuring nod of his head. "Thanks Dick. I-"

"This won't be a reoccurring thing Jason. And there are rules. Rule number one, you will not use the suit for any acts of vengeance, got it?" Jason agrees. "Rule two, you will remain a member of the YJL and therefore act like one. Don't go running off on your own." Jason was hardly listening but agrees to the second stipulation as well. "And finally, you will not fight the Black Spider."

"What?!"

"I won't teach you how to use that suit. And honestly, I don't know a lot of people dumb enough to want to call themselves Red X. After the last one, Red X has a lot of enemies. Some I know you can handle…"

"And the others?" Jason asked.

"You'll learn why being Red X is a lot harder than you think." Dick said as he walked towards the computer. "Now get out of here. I need to find someone."

Jason was a bit too excited to be angry about how Dick dismissed him. In fact, the teen ignored it altogether and just left the warehouse. As soon as the door closed Dick sat at his computer and viewed a video tape of the neighborhood surveillance camera that caught Jason's fight with the Black Spider. Dick studied the tape long and hard, trying to figure out the masked assassin's moves and possible motives.

"He definitely didn't want to kill them, so what was it?" Dick said rewinding the fight. "Was it to save Mad Mod? No. He left him to be taken in. Did he want something with Jason? Cassie? Mia maybe? And why didn't he just finish them off even though he could have?" Dick rewinds the fight again and views when the attacker caught Mia's arrow. "Catching an arrow… How many could actually pull that one off?"

Dick sits back in his chair and thinks. There weren't many people who could catch an arrow, whether it was shot by a novice like Mia or a professional like Oliver. The skills required for such feat were only obtained through years of training. Or in rare occasions, it could be learned through just months of training with someone who was just that good.

"Almost like he just wanted to pick a fight with them." Dick mused. "But why? What did he gain from fighting a group of kids?"

As Dick though of the possible motives for what caused the Black Spider to attack the three members of the YJL, he also completed his mental list of everyone that could and has been noted catching a projectile. The list had several of names that made Dick uneasy but none of them seemed to fit the role of Black Spider. For starters, half of those men and women would have killed the three teenagers right then and there while the other half of the list was members of the Justice League.

Sighing, Dick sits up. "Finding out his motives is pointless unless I know the man behind the mask. And figuring that out could take…" Dick's cell phone interrupted him. Retrieving it from his pocket, he read the caller ID before answering. "Hey Babs, what's up?"

"You're needed at Mount Justice. We might have word of where Kaldur is headed." Barbara answered.

"How?" Dick asked.

"Roy… And Cheshire."

Dick's eyes narrowed. Jade could never be trusted, but Roy? His former friend and teammate's actions have been questionable during these past three years. Dick has not spoken to Roy a lot during that time, getting most of his information about his former teammate through Barbara. But Roy's new ally made Dick more than weary of what Roy was doing now.

"Dick? Are you there?" Barbara's voice snapped Dick out of his trance.

"I'm on my way." Dick said rising from his chair.

Black Spider could wait. Finding his former friends Roy and Kaldur came first.

* * *

**Author's Notes: **I know things look to be moving fast, but this arc is designed to introduce the main story and such. On another note, next chapter will show the new Kaldur on his mission, Jason Todd becomes Red X III, and a certain fight some of you wanted to see in Shattered Persona involving Jake and his "mystery opponent." Plus I will be answering questions/responding to reviews. Thanks for reading and as always, review or PM for any question, thoughts, or comments. Later.


	4. TYL Arc: Chapter 3

**Author's Notes: **So it is once again time for me to go through all the reviews that I have received and answer questions or just respond to the comments that you have left. Considering the length of this story (or rather what I intend on making it), I will be doing this two or three times per arc. Like in the previous story, I will answer these questions without giving many spoilers. But I will be giving some spoilers about the story. With that said, I want to give a thanks to all of you that have read, reviewed, and hit that favorite and/or follow story button for the Jake Cross stories. Now it's time to go into the Review Corner and answer your reviews. If you want to skip, jut hit and hold the nice CTRL button and then tap the "F" button, type in the word "Nightfall" and begin reading. But for everyone else, I will answer the reviews in no particular order and in a few of them, there will be small spoilers to the story. Thanks again for reading.

**DarkLord98 - **Jake returned and went straight for Jade. But does that mean he really has decided on his lovely lady? I'll leave that up to you. As for how Jake will deal with immortals such as Vandal and beings of nearly unlimited magic like Klarion, that will be seen later. And yes, Jake did manage to make a similar device like the scarab. How he did so will be explained in the next chapter with some of the Black Spider's abilities. Needless to say that the Team will not like this new Black Spider, but that is the least of Jake's problems as he will soon gain the attention of the larger and stronger Justice League. But before that, we have to find out just how Jake and the others will feel about Jason becoming Red X III. That can only lead to more problems, right?

**Vindrueelsker - **Greetings. I want to start with your last review on Shattered Persona. Getting 94 reviews on my first story was big for me. Seriously, you don't know how happy I am. So reading your comment about Shattered Persona deserving more than 100 reviews was beyond pleasing. Thank you a million times over. On that same review you asked about Robin not being the leader of the Team. The reason was kind of explained in Phoenix, which is the one-shot where Dick goes to find the True Master again. Due to the Titans' last mission (the one that resulted in Rose's death) Dick felt incompetent as a leader because a number of people died in that building, not just Rose/Ravager. While on that subject, Phoenix is a one-shot that foreshadows an event that will take place in Arkham Rising in the nearby future. Moving on to your comment about Cheshire waiting to kill Dick at his graduation. Well, let's just say that she hasn't gotten over that and still scheming. Just needs another day when it is the "right day" to do so. I will not reveal any news about if Lian will be born and if she will or will not be Roy's. That is why I set this three years into the future instead of the five that the YJ canon has. There is a chapter that is just a major flashback that will show some of Jake's training coming up in two chapters. If Jason Todd dies, it will not be caused by his lack of popularity especially since Jason Todd's popularity is quite high on Fanfiction. While I want to focus a bit on Jake/Jade/Roy there will be some Roy the original versus Roy the clone coming up. Yes, Ben (Jake's spider backpack) does resemble a scarab but the suit was made like that simply because I am a Spiderman fan and I needed a reasonable way of putting the symbiotic Spiderman suit (Black Spiderman) and the Iron Spider into the DC universe. After some time writing and rewriting his abilities, I soon combined the two and got the scarab-like creation you see today, a nano-technological symbiotic creation that is Ben. Ben is less hostile to Jake though they will butt heads quite a bit whenever it comes down to Jake trying to speak about Artemis in a logical sense and Ben teasing his host about Jake's feelings. Due to his training, Jake has not been able to keep an eye on Artemis or Jade as much as it may seem, which is why he does not know (as of chapter 2 that is) who Jade is seeing and is surprised to know how deeply Artemis misses him. Thanks again for the reviews and this time around, I will shoot for those 100+ reviews.

**Panda Pulse - **So the main question from Shattered Persona was if Jake Cross will ever intentionally kill someone. It surely looks like it will happen, won't it? Unfortunately, that is not a question I'm going to answer. I will hint, though, that there will be several deaths and Jake will be blamed for many of them. Now whether he'll actually do them or not, I'm not telling. To be fair though, I'm going to answer a very important question about a very important character. Jericho will be in this story as Jake's and Rose's half brother. His role will be vital heading into the Arkham City Arc and a few before that. Another spoiler (and don't tell anyone that didn't read this!) is that Batman and Black Spider will have to team up during one of the upcoming arcs. Jake is searching for Grundy only to find out that Lazarus element that keeps him, Savage, Ra's from staying six feet under. Can we assume that he is trying to resurrect his sister? Maybe his mother? The answer to this will be in the next arc, which is coming up pretty soon since the Three Years Later Arc isn't that long. For now, there won't be any main threats but the Light. That being said, the Light's alliance with the Reach, as well as Mongrel, Darkseid, and Doomsday will not play a major role throughout Arkham Risings. It may seem wrong considering the whole Blue Beetle/Reach storyline in the YJ canon, but I do have a surprise dealing with them. Finally, Jake's personality will waver between his father Slade/Deathstroke and his uncle Wade/Deadpool, eventually settling somewhere in-between them. As for updates, I'll post them as fast as I can. Thanks for the reviews.

**Kings of Nightmares and Dragons - **As previously stated, Lian's future isn't one that I'm going to explain. She may or may not be born and in the event that she is born, she may or may not be Jake's. But I do have to know, which would you prefer: Lian Nguyen-Harper like in the canon or Lian Nguyen-Cross, the daughter of the Heir of the Demon? Let me know and thanks again for reading.

**Chinran -** I think it is safe to say that Roy and Jake won't be friends anytime soon. Jake was Red X while Roy was in the Teen Titans and Roy did fire an arrow at Artemis twice. So if the time ever comes that Jake realizes that it is Roy that Jade is seeing, it won't end well for one Red Arrow. And no one wants to see that much violence, right? Well, unless you do. And if that's the case, let's hope Jake finds out sooner than later.

**Pixiedustmagic - **Thank you for letting me know that the pacing of the story isn't going too fast, or at least not too fast for you. Jason's feelings for Alfred aren't all bad. He was just sore about not being able to lead and forbidden to wear the Red X suit. Much like Bruce's early days as Batman, Jason ignores Alfred's advice and warnings. And Mia is one of my favorite underrated characters in the comics. She should have been put in Young Justice series as Green Arrow's protégé after the time skip. I also like the pairing between Jason and Mia. Let's try at make it everyone else's OTP! When Slade finds out that his son is alive and is the Black Spider, there are only one word to describe his face. Priceless.

**DeathDemonWolf - ** Hell to the yeah I am back! Thanks for letting this story be one of your favorites on the site. I will try to keep that so as much as I can. The tension rising in the Three Years Later Arc will carry over to the next arc and then some. I can't wait for you guys to see just exactly where this goes from here.

**Abazaba**** - **As I mentioned earlier, Arkham Risings will not solely take place in Gotham City. It will actually explore a lot more of the DC Universe than Shattered Personas did. This also means that Jake will be running into other heroes and villains that have bases setup in other cities. Yes, because I like Spiderman so much I decided to redo the Black Spider so that it safely incorporates our friendly neighborhood arachnid within the DC Universe and somehow make him the star of the show in the form of Jake Cross. The idea of Jake's suit was to combine the black symbiote suit (Black Spiderman suit) and the Iron Spider into one. Unfortunately I did remove the teleporting device. But then again, do you think he really needs it now?

**MajorDarkblade - **Thanks. I hope I can continue in taking this story in the right direction and keep you guys interested at the same time. If I can do that, then Jake Cross will continue to kick more ass as the days go by. Thanks again for reading and I'll try to update as soon as I possibly can.

**ThePervertedOne - **Jake is an asshole but to be an asshole and cure you of your hatred of main characters is alright by me. There will be some great and strong supporting characters, but for the most part, I'm going to focus on our boy Jake. I do take my writing seriously and I try to improve with each chapter that I type. That being said, I am willing to listen (or read in this case) any advice that you or anyone else have to give me. Whether it is something from a professional viewpoint or just your personal opinion on how a character should or should not be. Now, to answer your question about the magical backpack of awesomeness, Ben is closer to a man-made sapient than Siri on meth. As Jake mentioned, Ben is able to feel and express emotions (such as playfully taunting his master for Jake's apparent crush on Artemis) and it is more than capable of functioning without its host. Again, I wanted to give it some symbiotic characteristics that Venom has which is the reason for this. Speaking of his crush on Artemis, I said this in the last story that I was going to make Artemis Jake's "forbidden love" where he knows that he can't be with her for her safety, but he does everything in his power to stay near her. It is also a mutual thing as Artemis still holds feelings for her "deceased" ex-boyfriend. By the way, there will be tons of perverted moments in this story. That's why I moved the rating up!

**Dokuja - **I am glad that this story meets your approval. Believe me when I say that I will try to keep doing so. Jake is a badass, isn't he? And thankfully we will be able to see more of that in this story. In fact, there is some action in this chapter. Keep reading and tell me if it meets your approval.

**Anon - **That is quite the review and I actually read everything. I won't be responding to it all due to time, but I will like to respond to some things you said. Firstly, I agree that Batman has some paranoia when it comes to reformed villains and how they interact within Gotham City. He will always look at them with mistrust even if they- like Penguin and Two-Face have- aid him during his mission. Your point about the reformed Calendar Man also holds truth to it. I also agree with what you said about Lex Luthor. He is a smart businessman and really nothing more. Superman, a man with godlike powers, is in awe with the things Lex can achieve with the things that any other businessman could. They just don't have the ambition nor mindset of one Lex Luthor. Now with all that said, I want to say that this is an AU and being so means that some characters will change from their comic, cartoon, and game counterparts. People will still fear Joker. Slade will still have a code. And Batman will still have his paranoia. But there will be some differences such as Jake Cross's existence and Rose being Adeline's daughter and not Lily's. Such small changes change everything.

Phew, I think that is all. If I missed something, please tell me. But for now, here is the chapter that got deleted when I tried to upload it the first time. You should know that this is the part that I say leave a review or PM for any thoughts, questions, or comments. I will try to update sooner this time as I have some time off. Thanks again for reading, AuDC Productions out.

* * *

Arkham Risings

Three Years Later Arc

Ch.3: Nightfall

[Kord Industries: El Paso, Texas]  
[June 15, 22:38:49 MST]

It seemed quite impossible for one in a black armored suit to move around without being seen or heard. The probability and believability of said event dropped if said man was to move around a corporate building during business hours. However, Kaldur was doing just that. Despite the fact that the employees of Kord Industries had been giving the rest of the night off for some reason, he was sneaking around in his Manta armor in an attempt to find and kill Ted Kord. Only a few custodians were in the building along with Kaldur's target, Ted Kord.

Pausing at the corner of a hallway, the Atlantean eyed his two accomplices to give out their orders.

"Chian, take out the camera feed in Kord's office. Danuuth, the custodians. I will finish Kord." Kaldur's voice was quiet yet firm.

Danuuth nods his head before the man in the blue armor went to do what he was told.

"You seem to be doing the killing a lot lately. Trying to get praise from our leader?" The dark-skinned woman asked.

"I am the leader of this mission. Do what I have ordered without question."

Knowing she was well bested by a fully armored Manta, Chian made a move for the security room on the floor below leaving Kaldur free to pursue the target. The man takes in a deep breath as he goes to do just that while thinking of why he was even doing so.

During his talk with Jake three years ago in Bludhaven, Jake had told him of his plan of taking down The Light. He would destroy them from the inside out. He would find a way to kill them like a cancer, and if possible, turn them on one another. He would plant spies under three members of The Light and then learn everything about them. With Gemini now working with The Brain like her mother does, Jake had eyes and ears around the entire hidden organization.

Kaldur was surprised to see the plan actually work. His father took him with arms wide open and Brain allowed Gemini to work for him with Madame Rouge vouching for her daughter wholeheartedly. Within a year the duo had gained their respective bosses' trust and faith. All that was missing was for Ra's to return with Jake by his side. The three of them knew that if they were ever found out, the consequence would surely be death. Jake had assured his two teammates that that would not happen, but it was a thought that Gemini constantly brought up. Brain and Ra's were not known for being fooled often. Sooner or later they were going to wise up to the plan and wipe the trio out.

Kaldur and Jake did not believe so. So long as Jake had Talia's trust, Ra's would not question him. The same could be said for Kaldur and Ocean Master. As long as Black Manta continued to trust and endorse his son, Kaldur had nothing to fear.

Manta pauses at an elevator. It was the only way into Kord's top floor office unfortunately, meaning he had to take it. Of course, he could somehow parachute out of a helicopter and glide through one of the windows, but the former Aqualad was neither that adventurous nor ignorant. He would proceed with caution like always.

As soon as the armored man was on the two-way elevator (it could only go from this floor to Ted's office and back) the doors closed causing him take in a deep breath. The first time he had done a mission for Ocean Master, it had been something relatively small, stealing an artifact from a museum in Metropolis. No one got killed and the mission was done fairly quickly. However, they were now becoming more stressful than ever with each new mission bringing another problem to Kaldur's moral.

He did view himself as one of the good guys.

The elevator stops and the doors open. The entire top floor was Ted's office, being a lab and a desk office in one. Kaldur moves off of the elevator and looks around. His mission was very simple. Find Ted Kord, kill him, and retrieve the blue scarab. Simple enough, right?

"So they just sent one of you? That was dumb." Kaldur paused as two former allies of his and a third appeared from a closet. It was the green one that spoke. "Wait a sec, don't I know you?"

"Kaldur…"

"Tula…" With his mask on, his voice sounded a bit robotic and void of any emotions. "Where is Kord?"

"He's gone Kaldur," Superboy, the third member there, stated. "So back down. We don't want to fight you."

"I'm only here for Kord, not you three. I will ask again you again," Manta spoke, getting more and more into character. "Please move."

"We can't do that." Superboy said. "Kaldur you know I'm not one for many words. Don't do this. Don't make us fight."

"Dude, you are so Black Manta." The former Beast Boy said with a snap of his fingers.

"No," Kaldur said raising a hand to his helmet, fingers seconds from pressing a button. "I'm Manta."

With a tap of the button, his helmet fired a high-powered optical beam at the three, forcing them to scattered. Kaldur kept his beams up, chasing after Changeling. The former Titan was evasive, transforming into a fly mid-jump and avoiding every beam that the Atlantean fired at him. The distraction paid off as Conner was able to launch one of the few rolling chairs near him at Kaldur and successfully knock the assassin off of his feet.

Manta had known the power of Superboy was great, but the years has done nothing but amplified said strength. The sound of small snaps of electricity brought Kaldur to his former classmate who was glaring at him.

"I didn't want to do this." Aquagirl said before firing a bolt of lightning towards Kaldur.

Manta was faster, rolling out of the way of her strike and getting to his feet. With his new training he easily caught Changeling charging towards him in a form of a ram and grabbed the beast by the horns.

"Aah!" Kaldur grunts as he slings Garfield towards Conner.

Tula watched as her two teammates crashed into a desk before flinging two more bolts at her former crush. Unfortunately, Manta merely catches them and redirects them at her. Kaldur watched his crush fall onto her butt and slide backwards from the force. Once more he questioned how Red X was able to battle Artemis and never think twice about it.

Manta thought quickly and fired another optic beam that knocked Conner a few feet backwards, though Superboy was able to stay on his feet. He knew that Conner was the largest threat amongst the three here and did not want to take any chances with the clone. He knew that he could subdue both Garfield and Tula one-on-one, but Conner's Kryptonian endurance was one that no Atlantean wanted to test above the water.

Conner spots the armored man charging for him and tightened his fists. He did not want to fight Kaldur, but he did not have a choice. The former leader of the Team had made it clear that he wanted nothing to do with them or the Justice League due to Aquaman withholding information about Kaldur's father.

But today, Kaldur'ahm was just another member of The Light. And as much as it pained Conner to think this, but Kaldur had to be put down like the rest of them.

Manta was able to dodge the punch that would have surely knocked his helmet clear off of his head if he hadn't. Superboy was apparently not holding anything back and as a testament to this, Kaldur found his former teammate attempting to tackle him onto the ground. But countless of spars with the clone had prepared the "traitor of the Team" for such an event. He knew that once Superboy had an opponent to the ground there was really nothing one could do.

Thankfully, Kaldur was not fighting fair and had an ace up his sleeve.

"Get off." Manta ordered before blasting Conner into the ceiling with his optic beam.

Kaldur only had a few seconds to roll to his left as a green gorilla attempted to hammer him through the floor, and possibly the floor beneath that. Now on his feet, Kaldur was able to backtrack while Changeling swung with rage in his gorilla form.

Changeling, however, was just a distraction and Kaldur found that out a second too late.

"Ugh!" Kaldur's body was knocked sideways, losing his footing completely and tumbling into a desk.

"Who are you and what do you want?" Manta looked at the man in blue. His target had been here all along…

"His name is Manta." Tula spoke, holding her right elbow with her left hand. "He's an employee of Ocean Master."

"The purist from Atlantis? What would they want with me?" Ted questioned while aiming his Beetle Gun at Kaldur.

"We think that he may be aligned with another group. They are called The Light." Now it was Conner speaking as he stepped next to Ted. "Their motives aren't always clear, but we believe he was here for the Blue Beetle."

"I am the Blue Beetle." Ted nearly hissed as he glares at Manta. "So tell your boss if he wants to speak to me, he can schedule a meeting like everyone else."

In that second, Kaldur reacted. Rolling backwards, he moved into a handstand and channeled water through his water pack on his back, a feint blue glow seen on his arms and hands as water flooded floor around Kaldur. The rushing waters pushed the furniture out of the way while forcing the three members of the new YJL and Ted Kord to retreat. This allowed Manta to recover and hop onto one of the few lab desks that did not topple over.

"Aquagirl," Superboy spoke. "Do you think that you could…?"

His question trails off, but Tula shakes her head anyway to answer him. She was at the top of her class, but only Garth could match Kaldur in strength.

Manta raised a hand, the water moving with his will around him. The others watched and waited for his attack. None were prepared for his body to become as clear as the waters circling around him and then nothing. The water fell to the ground lifelessly, splashing noisily as Kaldur had simply vanished.

"Cloaking device?! Since when could he do that?!" Garfield exclaimed.

"We'll just have to find him without sight." Conner replied. "Sniff him out. I'll search."

Ted frowned. He knew about Atlantean sorcery and technology, but this Manta was surely a step above what Ted had read about. The fact that Aquagirl seemed inefficient against him proved just that. Manta was indeed a powerful opponent and was probably leading them into a trap. He just had to figure out what that trap was before it was too late.

He just had to think…

"Check behind the desks." Ted frowns at Superboy's orders and hears the light splashes of their footsteps in the water as the three searches the room.

The water!

"Get back!" Ted shouted, but it was too late as a heavy surge of electricity effectively disposes of the three. Manta reveals himself, standing in the center of the three downed bodies. "You monster!"

Kaldur flinches inwardly. That sounded too much like Artemis when they fought Red X at Royal University.

Nothing comes of Ted's anger as the elevator doors open to reveal Danuuth and Chian. Ted knew that he was trapped then. But he would not go down without fighting. He didn't need some alien attached to his spine to take these three out. He would do it on his own.

"Stop," Kaldur said after reading Ted's body language. "We just want the scarab. Where is it?"

"Go to hell." Kaldur takes in a deep breath and exhales slowly.

"Last chance: Where is the scarab?"

"For the last time," Ted challenged, gun aimed for Kaldur. "Go. To. Hell!"

Kaldur only shook his head. "I gave you a chance…"

* * *

[Cross Enterprise: Gotham City, New Jersey]  
[June 16, 10:12:14 EST]

The disguised woman walked into Jake's office, clearly annoyed. She hated being a secretary, least of all to some arrogant prick like Jake Cross. But the man did live up to his word and he was ideally the guy to go to when in some form of trouble. Despite her pride, she knew that Jake could handle his own against her or anyone else really. Then again, he was the prized Heir of the Demon.

"You know," Jake spoke from behind his desk, his eyes glued to the computer screen on said desk. "Cassie normally knocks and she is quite timid when entering without my permission."

"Well today I felt like being bold." The woman replied.

"Uh-huh? Did you also get better after you called five minutes ago telling me that you were sick?" Now Jake looked at the woman who only sighs. "You must know something important. What is it?"

"If you haven't heard, Ted Kord is dead." The woman's form changed. Her brunette hair grew longer and her outfit became a black and red jumpsuit. "Apparently Kaldur blew the man's office to kingdom come."

Jake smirks. "And to think I had set a business meeting with Mr. Kord. Shame…"

"You do sound a lot like your dad." Gemini pointed out. "Which is why I'm here. Apparently Brain has an errand for Slade. One that I'm certain the League does not know about." Jake frowns. "He's going to 'test' the Black Spider out. Kill him if he can."

"So your boss wants my dad to kill me?" questioned Jake. "That's… Unexpected…"

"Unexpected, yes, but highly amusing." Jake sits back in his chair. "Oh don't tell me that you don't have a plan to get out of this one."

"Who says I want to get out of it?" Jake replied. "I can spar with the old man. It'll remind me of my wonderful childhood."

"I won't be around for a while. Some intergalactic trip in search for some piece to a machine." Gemini explained. "Think you can handle this mission without me? You don't have the maturity that Manta does."

"Is this your way of telling me that you and Kaldur have some sort of secret relationship going on?" Gemini scowls, making Jake smile. "I always knew you two evil lovebirds would get together sooner or later."

"If you're done joking," Gemini said as she walked towards the large windows. "We have a bigger problem. Apparently someone tipped off Ocean Master's plan on assassinating Kord. That someone has to know Light information."

"Who do you think it is?" Jake asked.

"I was hoping you'd know. It isn't a secret that Ra's and Ocean Master don't get along. So it would be no surprise that Ra's told his golden boy to let the attack 'slip out' in front of the wrong people." The accusation caused Jake's eyes to narrow.

"You have a real problem believing that I need to deceive you to beat you," Jake said, his humor no longer in his voice. "I talked to Manta before he left. That was it."

"Just making sure. Word is Artemis Crock is in town. And we both know that you would die for her." Jake slowly rose from his desk. "I'm joking."

"It's hard to tell. Your poker face is sometimes unreadable." Jake said. "You should leave. Talia will be here soon."

"What? And miss your talk with your boss?" said Gemini before she stretched. "Oh well. Maybe next time." The young woman altered her appearance, taking the form of Cassie Sorrow once more. "By the way, have you spoken to Raven lately?"

"Should I?" Jake replied.

"Brain contacted Brother Blood for something or another. Wasn't my mission so I don't know what for." Gemini explained. "Anyway, from what I know, it has something to do with Trigon. Something about a power of a Green Lantern just dark. Sinister even. I thought if you and your ex were in touch, you'd know."

"She isn't my ex and I haven't spoken to her since that day." Jake said. "But, about this dark Green Lantern thing. I'd suggest you stay low on this one. If you get caught, you'll be fed to Trigon for a midnight snack. And no magic will bring you back from that."

"You may be a great assassin and a better thief," Gemini states a she heads for the door. "But I'm a better spy. I won't get caught. Not yet."

"Are you sure your mom doesn't suspect a thing?" Gemini pauses in front of the door and smiles.

"Not a thing at all."

As Gemini leaves, Jake's attention turns to the city out of his window. Putting his problems in some sort of order, he figured he would have to face his father first. Next he would find out who ratted out Kaldur and deal with them. Finally he would worry about this demonic ring or whatever. And for that, he would need to find Raven.

"Ben," Jake called. The spider back-pack shot from beneath his desk and crawled onto his back. "Time to go find where Cheshire is."

* * *

[Bludhaven, New Jersey]  
[June 16, 10:16:35 EST]

Dick sighs as he casually sits back in his chair that sat in front of the large computer. In his right hand was a stress ball that he as constantly squeezing.

Roy was working with Jade? Kaldur was killing businessmen? And now Jason was going to go on his first night out as Red X. What was the world coming to?

Staring at the ceiling, he began to toss the ball into the air before catching it. It was small things such as this that slowly- very slowly at that- relaxed his mind. But it was the only sure way to get him to stop worrying. Throwing the ball in the air and catching it. Watching it momentarily defy gravity before slowly descend back towards his hand.

Almost like his parents…

Catching the ball one final time, Dick rose from his seat. He was becoming a little too caught-up in the Justice League's business at the moment. The YJL and Justice League could handle their own problems without him as they had before him. Manta… Cheshire and Red Arrow… Black Spider… Those were things that Dick should not concern himself with. And yet, he could not do anything but be worried that those men and women were still out there, Cheshire especially. Jade had sunken her claws into two guys that know Justice League information; Roy and Jake. Oddly enough, Dick didn't think that it was Jake that told Cheshire anything about the Teen Titans and their secret lives. Roy however…

A knock on the door caused Dick to momentarily stop his subconscious pacing- both mental and physical- and head to the door. Unlocking it, he was mostly unsurprised to see M'gann, Wally, and Zatanna.

M'gann was an "elder" of the Young Justice League now and one of its two leaders, the other being Conner. She was not a part of the Justice League yet but was offered a spot several of times before and could be if she chose to.

Zatanna was a member of the Justice League, but spent most of her time with the YJL as the "house mother". In Dick's opinion, he honestly did not know how she juggled her missions with the YJL, Justice League, and personal life all at the same time. Zatanna was quite the socialite and had friends practically everywhere now, most of them not knowing of her heroic side.

Then there was Wally, the YJL's honorary member. When Artemis chose to hang her bow and arrow up, she had encouraged Wally to metaphorically do the same. Dick understood it clearly and held nothing against Wally when he left the hero business for a normal life with Artemis. But alas, Wally could not sit still forever and now does missions for the YJL every two months or so. It angers Artemis but she doesn't react to it like she once did.

Back when she would slip up and called Wally "Jake".

"So," Dick said letting them enter. "Kord is dead."

"Unfortunately," M'gann replied. "Conner and his team are okay though. They say that the explosion was somehow centered on Ted."

"The Watchtower doesn't have any security footage of the explosion. Almost like El Paso went off the grid right before the explosion." Zatanna adds. "Kaldur must've known…"

"Of course he knew! He was a part of our team, remember? He was our leader!" Wally retorts. "I said it earlier and I'll say it again. We should've called Garth. He was the Aqualad from the Titans and he should've been the Aqualad on the Team."

Dick releases a breath of stress.

"Wally, Aquaman handpicked Kaldur. He didn't know-"

"What? That he was Black Manta's son? He was the spy Dick. He was the freaking spy this entire time and we were all pointing fingers at Artemis." M'gann frowned at Wally's words.

"Wally, _you_ were one of those people pointing fingers at her, remember?" Wally hushes for the moment as the Martian looks at Dick. "But on a different note, we have to find Roy. If he knows what The Light has in store, he could be a valuable player for our team."

Dick shakes his head. "I don't think that's a good idea."

"What? Why? I thought you and Roy-"

"That was then, Zatanna." Dick cuts the magi-sapien off. "He's different now. _I'm_ different now."

"Yeah and with his new girlfriend-"

"Your sister-in-law?" Dick teased Wally.

Wally snorts. "Whatever man. I just don't want Jade and Artemis to meet. Ever. It's bad enough when Artemis is mad at me for not taking out the trash. But when she sees Jade she instantly goes into this mode that it's almost scary. Kind of like a tiger ready to pounce."

M'gann's lips thin after she catches Dick's head bob one single nod. They both knew the reason why. While Jake has been gone for three years, Artemis was nowhere close to forgetting about him. The bad blood between the former archer of the Team and her assassin sister only boiled hotter whenever Artemis envisioned Red X and Cheshire being coy with one another.

"The information Roy gave us was vital to us even slowing Manta down." Zatanna continues. "If we have any chance at stopping Kaldur, we'll need him."

"But wouldn't that be employing his relationship with Cheshire?" Miss Martian counters. "The last thing we need is to give her a VIP pass into our home."

"Didn't Jake already do that?" Wally's question caused more friction in the air, but the redhead's gaze did not leave Dick for a second. "We're talking about Red X. The Red X _we_ know. The one that knew all of our strengths, our weaknesses, our lives. Everything. The guy that singlehandedly entrapped every one of the Teen Titans before." Now Dick shakes his head side to side. "Dick, the guy wasn't trustworthy in the least. Who's to say that he didn't tell Cheshire about us?"

"Because we're still here." Dick's answer gained a gasp from Zatanna, someone who never divulged into the Titan's past with Red X nor cared enough about Jake and Jade's relationship. "If Jake wanted to take us out, he would have. And if he wanted Jade to be there, she would have been. The fact that Cheshire doesn't know most of us outside of our masks proves that he never told her."

"Why? Don't you find that a little suspicious?" Before Dick could answer his longtime friend, M'gann beat him to the punch.

"Maybe he wasn't as bad as you think."

That was the simple answer that had been said so many times in the past. Again, Zatanna had only known Red X for a few months before he died and she never met Jake Wilson either. She did know that it was a conversation that normally started heated debates within Mount Justice. Zatanna tried to see both sides of the argument but it usually got too loud and chaotic that she had to leave to hear herself think. All she knew was that Red X was a serious badass and he had the capabilities of killing everyone _except_ Artemis. Apparently he was in love with her or liked her enough to keep her around.

"Let's move on," Dick said as he turned to walk to his computer. "I've been meaning to ask about this Black Spider. Any word on who he might be?"

"No…" M'gann said before frowning. "But something tells me that you already knew that."

"Which means another plan from the Boy Wonder!" Dick chuckles at Wally's enthusiasm. "Alright! I knew you would be back!"

"I'm not coming back to the YJL anytime soon. But I do have some sort of advice." says Dick as he sits at his desk. "You should go in disguise as three recruits."

"Newbies." Wally corrects.

Dick grins. "Yeah. You'll go as three newbies. If he has a thing for attacking children, then he will undoubtedly attack you. No matter who you choose to be, the three of you should easily beat him."

"I'm game." Wally said as he looked at M'gann. "How about it?"

"Well… I did say I wanted a mission. Spending time nowhere but the Cave-"

"Making out with La'gaan." Wally inputs.

"Shut up Wally." Dick had to laugh at the blush that adjourned the Martian's face. He missed seeing that. He missed being around them in general.

"What about Manta?" Zatanna asked.

Dick's laughter slowly dies. "I haven't figured anything out yet. On the one hand, we could bring him in and question him. Yet on the other hand…"

Telepathy was something that Martians did on their home planet as a mean of communication instead of gathering intel from someone. But when she came to Earth, M'gann was told that it was an evasion of privacy. This taught her how to read body language and facial expressions.

"You're not going to use Tula against him." she announced.

Dick doesn't answer because that was what he was thinking. The move was something underhanded. It was something that was very Slade-like and went against every code that Robin stood for.

"That is so messed up." Wally speaks.

"It's all I have for the moment. We know that he would never mortally wound her. She is all you guys have for the moment. And Garth… I wouldn't put those two in the same room yet."

Wally snorts. "That'll be a fight I'd like to see. Aqualad versus Aqualad. The winner gets Aquagirl."

M'gann would have pointed out that the same could have been said about Kid Flash and Red X if Red X hadn't have died. Though she did not for the sake of Artemis.

"After hearing the report from Superboy, I don't think that that's the smartest plan." Zatanna interjects. "Whatever feelings Kaldur had for Tula, they aren't there anymore. Not if he was willing to risk her life like he did."

"You'd think that." Dick's voice was hardly heard. "But I know from experience that Manta and Kaldur are two different people. One is the man and the other is simply an idea. Manta is just a persona."

"Well, someone has a shattered persona." Wally comments.

"Whatever," Dick said. "Let's start with the plan for the Black Spider and then we'll move on."

"Does this mean that you're considering coming back to the Team?" Zatanna asked.

Dick smirks. "You never know. I just might."

* * *

[Gotham City, New Jersey]  
[June 16, 12:00:36 EST]

Cheshire released a long breath as she sat against the air unit. Her newfound love interest was becoming dangerous, both him and who wants him dead. But he was interesting for the time being. Or at least, he was exciting enough to slightly fill the void that came with Jake's "death". Plus, he hated Artemis which was the complete opposite of her ex.

Jade grimaced as she removed her mask. She didn't even know if she could call Jake her ex or not. It seemed childish, yet at the same time, the upmost important question there was. She sometimes found herself wondering if what she had with Jake was the real deal or not. It was sickening to know that he had made her question this when he told her that he would save her from most harm. He would go out of his way to make sure that she was alright. Prime example being when he had the Fog machine in his possession and instead of completing the mission, he came back to help her defeat the Team.

"Here you are," Jade took in a deep breath, schooling herself not to jump at the surprising presence. "For a moment Sunshine, I thought you had either ran off to elope with your mysterious man or died."

Jade smirked as she looked up to see Jake lounging on the air unit she was sitting against.

"You took time out of your busy day to find me?" she taunts lightly.

Jake, as the Black Spider, flips off of the unit and stands in front of his partner.

"So what were you doing? We haven't really done our mission so I doubt it's that. And then there's that glare in your eyes like I'm interrupting something…" Jake paused. "But of course I doubt that."

"Is there a reason that you found me?" Jade questioned.

"Do I need a reason?" Jake replied as his suit slowly retreated into Ben on his back, revealing his collared shirt and khakis beneath. "So I figured you'd have a plan on how we were going to do this Mia Darden mission. As you already know, Talia and Nyssa have been stalking me nonstop. I don't think they trust me."

"With your history with archers, I don't blame them." Jade said as she stands up. She slips her mask on. "Which makes me wonder if you've seen Artemis since she's been back in town."

"I didn't even know she was here. She single?"

Jade rolls her eyes. "You were never a good liar."

"Only to you Sunshine. Only to you." Jake replied. "But to answer your question, I did sneak a peek at your sister. A bit surprised that you wouldn't tell me that she was visiting. Then again, she still thinks I'm dead. And a part of you still hate her for what I did. So I guess it's all okay."

Cheshire saunters to Jake.

"I think you came here because you wanted something. I'm a little shocked that you came to me and haven't found a new plaything." Jake smirks before covering himself in his Black Spider costume.

"I'm not here to play." Jade instantly stops when she stares at the Black Spider who was now devoid of any humor. "I'm here to ask you something. Earlier today Talia sent one of her guards to me telling me that The Light's mission on Ted Kord was almost derailed. She thinks that there is a leak somewhere and has given me the green light to deal with it as I see fit. I'm hoping that that person isn't you."

"Are you accusing me of releasing information that I didn't know?" Jade asked.

"Don't play coy with me Jade. If you did, you did. But at least be honest with me." Jake responded. "Did you have anything to do with the failed mission of retrieving the beetle?"

"No." Jade told him.

Jake stood there. He knew she was lying. His gut was telling him so. But he didn't want to engage her in any altercation, physical or verbal, then and there. He would wait. If Jade was a mole then she had someone she relayed her information to. And if he was lucky, it would be this mystery guy she had been hiding.

"Alright then," Black Spider says as he turns. "I'm going to continue my search. I'll see you later."

"Three years ago you wouldn't have accused me of being a spy." Cheshire pointed out. "What changed?"

"Three years ago, there was you, me, and a mission I had with your sister. I can't tell you what it is now." Jake said as he nears the edge of the building. "Then again, three years ago, if I accused you of being a spy, it's only because I was right there helping you be one."

"But then you went off and got yourself killed for Artemis." Jade growls. "And that's when _I_ changed."

Jake chuckles. "Your jealousy never changes." His foot stops on the ledge where he pauses. "See you around, Partner."

With that Jake leaps off, swinging from building to building above the citizens below. Jade just stood there, releasing a breath she had been secretly holding. She witnessed his prowess back at Arkham. She saw his rage years ago. If this new and improved Black Spider wanted to fight her seriously, there would be no way that she would get the advantage, not as long as he wore that suit. Worse, Jake was starting to question her. He may not have been the World's Greatest Detective, but he was no fool. He would find out. And then…

Cheshire shakes her head before retrieving her cell phone and speed-dialing a number.

"_Yes?_"

"We need to talk pronto." Jade said. "Jake is onto us."

* * *

[El Paso, Texas]  
[June 16, 12:03:55 MST]

Jaime Reyes sighed as he listened to his bickering friends again. Then again, there wasn't a day that Paco Testas and Brenda Del Vecchio did _not_ bicker. Worse, the topic of said debate could range from something as small as where to eat to something much larger like who would win the World Series.

"Did you hear about Ted Kord?" Thankfully Paco knew when he was beat and chose to change the subject then and there.

"Yeah," Brenda replied. "Who didn't? His office blew up Paco. It was kind of hard to miss."

Jaime tried to ignore them. He really did. But that was sometimes easier said than done. Today was one of those days.

"What's that?" Paco's voice caused Jaime to turn and look at what Paco was talking about.

"What is it?" Brenda asked as Jaime found himself drawn to the only standing out of the rubble. "Don't touch it!"

"It's just some kind of… Bug…" Jaime said holding it in his hand.

"What kind of bug?" Paco asked.

"It looks like an artifact. Maybe a piece of someone's collection of stones or something." Brenda adds.

"Who would want a stone bug?" Paco questions.

"Someone with a collection!" Brenda argues.

"A collection of _bugs_?" Jaime blows out another breath of exasperation. Even finding something as cool as the small blue beetle thingy in his hands wouldn't stop these two from arguing.

"Arthropodologists," Jaime laughed as his friend face-palmed at Brenda's response. "Or in this case, a coleopterist."

"How do you even know that?" Paco says.

"Because I don't spend my time playing Call of Duty, I actually learn something." Brenda shoots back. "And Jaime, I don't think it's smart to take that thing home. You don't know what it is or who it belongs to."

"Finders keepers, right?" Jaime grins at Paco's words.

"Exactly." Jaime states as he puts it in his bag. "Besides, who would go through the trouble of finding some beetle thing in anyway? It's probably not worth anything."

Brenda shrugs. "You never know."

"Right, because at this exact moment, aliens from outer space are searching for their missing beetle rock!" Paco exclaimed with mock fear. "You'd better get rid of it Jaime or they'll abduct you!"

"Assholes!" Brenda shouts over the two laughing boys. "Come on! We're going to your house Jaime!"

"Uh-oh, I think she's mad." Jaime whispers to Paco.

"Maybe she'll tire herself out?"

"NOW!" Brenda calls.

Jaime smirks. "I doubt that esse. I seriously doubt that."

* * *

[Jake Cross's Apartment: Gotham City, New Jersey]  
[June 16, 19:34:08 EST]

Jake stared at himself in the mirror.

"Suit and tie? My, my, what's the big occasion?" Jade ponders as she gazes at him.

Jake smiles a bit. "Apparently Mr. Wayne is having some sort of party at Wayne Manor tonight. Of course, Jake Cross got an invite for a business opportunity. And if he wants Jake Cross, then he'll get him."

"You have to remind me on how they don't know that you are still Jake Cross and not Jake Wilson." Jake turns to his partner.

"I created Jake Cross a long time ago, right after my mother died. I took control of her parents' company and have been living rather wealthy. However, Jake Cross lives in New York City and has never ventured anywhere near Gotham City." Jake explained. "When Jake Wilson died, Jake Cross realized that some guy was using his identity and claimed identity theft. Therefore, Jake Wilson died as a criminal and people realized that Red X was the son of Slade and all that bullshit. Meanwhile, Jake Cross pursued a case with the deceased Jake Wilson until everything that has been taking from him has been returned."

Jade frowned. "But… No one saw Jake Cross because _you_ are Jake Cross and therefore-"

"I couldn't be at two places at once. I know. Why do you think I made so many useful friends?" Jake interrupted. "A little magic here and there can make people see a lot. Even if that magic is nothing but a hologram."

Jade stands against the wall in shock. Jake had created another identity _years_ before he even came to Gotham City? How did he know that he would even have to use said alias? Did he plan on teaming with her years before this? And if so, what does he have planned next?

"You look worried." Jake's voice snaps Jade out of her thoughts momentarily. Even while in her Cheshire outfit, she knew better than to let him get too close anymore. "What's wrong Sunshine?"

"Nothing." Jade said. "I just thought that we could do the Mia mission tonight."

"Not tonight. Big plans." Jake said.

"Plans? Plans such as what?" Jake only smiles.

"Now, now Sunshine. If you knew them, then they wouldn't be a surprise." Jake said as he claps his hands. Ben runs onto his back before camouflaging itself. "Besides, this isn't League business. This is mine. And I have a lot of business to take care of."

"Should I be worried?" Jake now frowns. "Earlier today you accused me of releasing secrets to the enemy. I don't think you trust me anymore."

"I don't. Like you said, three years ago I got myself killed for Artemis and then you changed." Jake said. "So with that knowledge, it isn't me. It's you."

"Tell me this: When did you become so complicated?" asked Jade showing a rare moment of her vulnerability at the moment. She knew that Red X/Black Spider was a great ally on the field, but Jake Cross was a better friend off.

The young man eyed her for a while before stepping towards her and placing his hands on her shoulders, rubbing them comfortingly.

"We became complicated a long time ago. That's why we make such a great team." Jake told her. "However, when we withhold information from one another, things get tricky. Say for example, _if_ I find this 'mysterious guy' and I'm _not_ having a good day, what do you see me doing?"

"Beating him like you did Red Arrow. Or worse." Jade answered.

Jake gave her a kiss. "See? I'm not that complicated at all." Jake steps by her to exit his bathroom before pausing. "Except," Now Jade silently swallowed. "If it _is_ Red Arrow, then I'm going to do to him what I thought about doing a long time ago."

"And that was?"

"Kill him." Jake's voice was too much like his father's at the moment. However, he quickly shrugs it off. "But that's a big if and I doubt you're that daring. Besides, the guy did try to kill your sister. I don't think you've gotten passed that… Yet." Jake nears his door. "Don't wait up. This will take a while."

"Wasn't planning on it." Jade said before feeling her cell phone vibrate. She looked at read the message. "Wasn't planning on it at all…"

* * *

[Wayne Manor: Gotham City, New Jersey]  
[June 16, 19:52:03 EST]

"Thank you," Jake said to his chauffeur. "I'll call in an hour."

"Sure thing Mr. Cross." The man says before pulling off.

Jake looks at the large mansion with a small smile. It was here that he and Artemis had their double-date with Dick and Barbara years ago. Looking back on that particular day, he questions why he did not go wandering around the place to find some sort of entrance to the Batcave, if the hideout was somewhere nearby. Now he would not have that opportunity as Bruce Wayne would be here himself.

Maybe Dick as well? Wouldn't that be interesting?

"Name?" One of the two large bodyguards at the front door said, stopping Jake from entering.

"Cross. Jake Cross." Jake answers.

"Ah, Mr. Cross, welcome." The second and smaller of the two men said before they stepped aside. "Have a good night."

"That's the plan." Jake said entering the home for the second time. However, this was much different. There were hundreds of bodies here instead of a nearly empty mansion the first time he was here.

"You clean up fast." Jake groaned at the sound of Nyssa's voice and spotted the two al Ghul sisters standing near one another, both wearing form-fitting dresses. Nyssa's red, Talia's black.

"As handsome as you are," Talia adds. "We must warn you ahead of time. Do something here and our father cannot protect you."

"I wouldn't dream on it." Jake states. "Now if you'd excuse me, I was personally invited by Mr. Bruce Wayne to talk business. I'm sure he's called you two before." Both sisters glare at the young man. "What? No. It's almost like he doesn't care."

"Hold your tongue." Talia hisses.

"No, Miss Tate, this is where you hold yours. We're here for business, remember? And like said, if you do something here, your father can't protect you." Jake says before looking at Nyssa. "Either of you."

He walks away from the two, questioning their reasons for being here. Ra's could be making another attempt in dragging Bruce back to the League of Assassins, but that would require too much effort. Effort that the old man just did not have time to make. So that left the only logical answer which was Talia's love for Bruce brought her here uninvited and Nyssa tagged along.

But that was a problem for another day. For now he had to make sure that he was not being setup. This entire ordeal could be a trap and everyone here, Talia and Nyssa included, could be in on it. If that was the case then Jake would most likely lose whatever sanity he had and end up destroying half the people here. Though he doubted that it would come down to that. If Batman wanted to set a trap, he would never do it in the presence of Bruce Wayne.

And speaking of Bruce.

"Ah, Mr. Wayne," Jake said as he walked towards the two men, one being Lucius Fox and the other being Bruce. "I've waited for this meeting for a very long time…"

"Could you give us a moment?" Bruce said. The elder man walks away, giving Jake a hard look over as he does so. "I should've known that it was you."

"Yes. You should've." Jake mocked. "But that's beyond the point."

"Why are you doing this? What is Ra's planning?" asked Bruce.

"I'm not here on his behalf. In fact, I'm not even telling that you and I are on talking terms. I-"

"We're not." Jake's eyes glare at his rival's adopted father. "In fact, I have half the mind to take you in right now. And before you attempt to use my alternate as some form of leverage, think again. There have been many before you that have tried. None of them has or will ever succeed."

"I came here for help. You know, you scratch my back and I scratch yours kind of thing. But I see that you are no better than the people you put in jail." Jake said. "I have no ulterior motive here. I just need help."

"Just like you didn't have an ulterior motive when you made Aqualad look like a murderer?" Jake smirks at the statement. "What are you smiling about?"

"You think I'm such a big bad man. An assassin because I was trained by the same man that trained you. Well, let me tell you why I killed myself." Jake said, his smirk disappearing and his voice showing more anger by the seconds. "I killed myself because your teacher thought about killing Artemis if I didn't kill someone. I chose to keep her safe, even if that meant killing myself. That's something you don't know about."

"I know-"

"Oh no, you don't know. But you will." Jake cuts Bruce off. "I know about your relationship with Talia. And you know about the Demon Trials. I only need one of Ra's daughters to survive it. You can figure out the rest, can't you? You are the World's Greatest Detective."

"If you hurt her I swear-"

"You can't kill me. Or better, you won't kill me." Jake said. "Just like I won't kill. We're not that different."

Bruce swallows the rest of the wine in his glass.

"You could've become so much better. Your father and Ra's molded you into this manipulative young man." Bruce says. "You would be better off forgetting whatever it is that has you doing this. It won't end well."

"We both could've become a lot of things, or so I heard." Jake replied. "Imagine. Recreating this world without anybody to top you and having a beautiful woman at your side. Two if the al Ghul sisters got down like that." Jake paused. "And we both threw it away."

"Makes me wonder why." Bruce was a little unnerved when Jake laughs at his statement.

"My reason is simple. I did it for my love of Artemis. A world where she would have to die isn't a world that I want to be in." Jake said. "But you? You gave it up for nothing."

"I did it-"

"To save Gotham? How's that going when every time you stop a certain clown he's already killed tens or hundreds of people, just to have him sent to Arkham. He breaks out and repeats, killing hundreds more. You're not saving Gotham." Jake pointed out. "Me? I don't care for Gotham City. I don't care for Metropolis. Hell, I don't even care for New York. But I do care for Artemis and a few others."

"So you became a thief. That's a strange way to show your love for her." Jake's eyes narrow.

"I was a thief before her because it was my job. Much like you have a job of stopping people like me. The difference is I stopped being a thief when it became too much for her. You couldn't do the same for Talia and you know it."

"Don't bring her into this."

"Or what?" Jake challenged.

The two men glare at one another before Jake takes a step back.

"Thanks for the invite, Mr. Wayne. Maybe we can catch up sometime." Jake said as he vanishes within the sea of bodies.

Bruce lets out a quiet grunt. Jake Wilson was still alive and Dick wasn't even here to see it. And that was not even the worse of it. Bane once attacked Alfred to get to Batman. But Jake had his eyes set on Talia. With Ra's spending all his time and efforts in raising Jake to become Bruce's replacement, this meant that Jake was around Talia nearly twenty-four seven. Jake had the opportunity to kill Talia at any moment of time. Well, that is _if_ the guy had any intentions of killing people.

Still…

Still Bruce could not help but to groan at the thoughts of what he had to do. He had to tell the other members of the Justice League and forbid anyone from the YJL from knowing, Dick and Artemis included. It sounded harsh but he was just trying to protect them. Whether or not Jake had an agenda was besides the point that Dick and Artemis could be hurt again if they went after him. And the last thing Bruce wanted to do was give Jake incentive to kill and send Wally to the somehow reborn man.

"Oh Bruce…" Damn, it was Selina and Talia was here. This night just became worse.

* * *

[Gotham City, New Jersey]  
[June 16, 20:16:49 EST]

He had to see her now. Normally Jake would not care as much but his talk with Bruce had him a bit fearful of Artemis's health… And reaction. He didn't trust Bruce Wayne and he trusted Batman far less than he did his alter ego. Therefore, Artemis could know that he was alive and was going through the same stages of emotions that her sister had but worse. Much, much worse.

Perched on the building opposite of Artemis's former apartment again, Jake stared into her window. A feint light was seen, but he doubt it came from Artemis's room.

Ben's forewarning buzz caused Jake to turn his head to see apparently nothing. He then eyed his surroundings thoroughly as his mechanical companion had picked up another presence nearby. Switching his masks vision to that of infrared, he picked up on the body head on the street below. Going back to his normal vision he peered down to see a petty gunman waiting behind a few trashcans.

"Seriously?" Jake said.

_"A gunman is a gunman."_ Was Ben's response.

Jake scoffs. He knew that Ben knew no better. That nano-technical symbiote warned him of all presences and attempted to give him an accurate level of threat of said presence. It gave Jake an advantage when fighting someone like the Black Atom who appeared old yet was so dangerous at the same time. The only downfall to this was what Ben could sense and what Jake could pick up. Of course, the suit would never be able to fully rank Bruce Wayne's threat level as he was just a man in a suit. No guns. No knives. No weapons. Batman, however, had a whole array of weapons that Ben could pick up and assess a threat to in a heartbeat. Therefore, for the normal men and women walking around without weapons like Bruce or even Shiva could not be assessed by Ben and Jake would have to guess (if the person was unfamiliar to him) how strong said person was.

_"Threat spotted!"_ Jake's body reacted, dodging the incoming arrow. His mind raced through possible suspects before even looking, Red Arrow being on the top of that list. However, when he turned, he saw his opponent for the night standing on another, higher, building across the street.

"Dad…" Jake mumbled.

Slade turns and takes off, forcing Jake to run towards the edge of the building he was on and begin swinging above the streets.

Slade ran from rooftop to rooftop, his trained eyes able to stay in front of him while watching the Black Spider swing from building to building. Already he knew that his prey was quite fast, faster than the other Black Spiders, that's for sure.

Coming to a stop near a ledge, Slade peered over. No Spider in sight. Huffing, he looked around. Surely his prey did not think that he could sneak up on him, did he? That would be a foolish thought indeed. Shaking his head, Slade went to make one final leap onto a building with a larger and more suitable roof to fight on, only to be caught in mid-air by the man that he was baiting into a trap.

Tumbling onto the roof, Slade rolled away from his target, blade in hand while the Black Spider merely lands in a three-point stance. The two circle around one another, the Spider effectively moving on hands and feet as if to successfully imitate his namesake or some other stalking animal.

"Seems like the hunt has come to an end." Slade spoke. "I'm going to enjoy this thoroughly. Not because I like killing, but because you have skills that I want to see firsthand."

"You should know," Jake spoke in a deeper tone. "That a spider is the ultimate hunter. The hunt isn't over until I say so."

Slade chuckles. "Amusing. You even come with spider jokes."

"It's my venom you should be worried about."

The two paused before Jake rose to stand up completely. Years ago, he could never intentionally tap into that power that his father and Ra's saw in him. Back then, he would have to coax himself to get angry or worried over someone's health. Now he could do so without trying. And it was all thanks to one Rachel Roth.

The two men charged at one another, Deathstroke revealing a second blade before they collided. Jake ducked and dodges his father's swipes, realizing that they both had gotten much better since he was a kid. Then again, Slade would have never killed Jake and Rose back then when they trained with swords. This was Deathstroke the Terminator and all his skills going against his son unknowingly. Therefore, there were no excuses now. There were no punishments if Jake so happened to get himself hurt like in the past. This was do or die.

"Ah!" Slade grunts as he swings one of his blades at the annoyingly elusive man. Jake brought a forearm up, quickly extending the stinger inside of it to stop his father from bisecting him. "Of course. These."

Jake smirks beneath his mask before going on the offensive, using his stingers to push his sword-wielding dad backwards. Talia and Ra's would be proud, he figures, if he lived this. Again, this was Deathstroke, not Deadpool. Jake was certain that he could go toe-to-toe with his reckless, yet cunning, uncle. His father was a different story.

Knocking one of Slade's swords away, Jake is able to land a solid kick to the other man's chest forcing Slade stumble back a bit. Jake went to deliver a stabbing blow before he saw his father drop something.

"Shit…" Jake mumbled in mid-leap before a bright flash had him temporarily blinded.

Slade saw his opportunity as his opponent falls onto the ground blinded. With a leap of his own, he held his blade in his hands with the intentions of skewered his foe with one fatal blow. He miscalculated the thought process of the machine attached to his opponent's back.

"What the hell?" Slade question as the four robotic spider legs shot out and caught Slade in mid-air.

"Didn't think it was that easy, did you?" Jake asked before Slade was tossed towards the large air unit. Jake stood up while retracting his blades and robotic legs. "Please. Don't belittle me."

"As you wish." Deathstroke said throwing his blade aside.

The two ran for one another once more, this time without any weapons but their fists. Their exchange was nearly identical. Slade was surprised at the fact this version of the Black Spider was as skilled in hand-to-hand combat as the others were mediocre at best in his opinion. Meanwhile, Jake was also surprised that he had learned the counter to Deathstroke's moves, not from Ra's or Shiva, but from his memory of sparring with his father as a child. It was almost as if Slade was doing the _exact_ same moves he used on Jake years ago in the _exact_ same order. The only difference was the speed he went through these combination of strikes.

After a relatively high kick was checked by Jake's forearms, Slade took a step back.

"You seem to know a lot about martial arts." Slade said as he reached behind him to grab a smoke bomb.

"Don't flatter yourself. I didn't even take a swing." Jake responded, a small sphere appearing in his clenched fists.

"We'll see!" Slade said.

The two tossed their smokescreens simultaneously, creating a thick cloud of smoke on the roof. Silence followed as the smoke slowly dispersed and cleared from the atmosphere. Deathstroke now stood where the Black Spider was previously standing and vice versa.

"Seems as you know stealth." Deathstroke spoke.

"Some people live in darkness, others are born in it," Black Spider returns. "I just merely embrace it when needed."

"You're going to need more than darkness to save you!" Deathstroke threatened as he took off for his opponent.

For his part, Jake stood still, settling in a stance that Lady Shiva had taught him. It would be the first time since learning it that he would actually use this fighting style. And hopefully it would be his last.

"Too slow!" Slade shouts as he throws a punch for the masked assailant in front of him, only for his entire body to go through the hologram and slam into the large air unit.

"You missed." The arrogant voice of Black Spider called before pulling Slade's stunned body towards him with his black webs. "But I won't."

"I'm counting on it…" Jake was sure that his father's voice was behind him and his eyes widened when he realized what he had done.

"Oh shit…"

Jake jumped out of the way before his father's self-destructing robotic drone could detonate right against him. The heat and force of the explosion caused Jake to tumble near the edge of the roof where Slade was able to tackle him. The two spin and twirl downwards, Jake able to free himself before they hit the ground in the nearby alleyway. Slade rolled off of the closed dumpster he landed on and looked upwards to see the Black Spider slowly rising to his feet as well. He figured his arachnid foe must have hit the ground and hit it hard.

"You can take pain. I'm impressed." Jake growled at his father's mocking tone.

"Don't be."

Jake saw Slade running for him again, this time with one of the two discarded blades in his hands. Immediately Jake went back to his old mantra as Slade began swinging for him.

Left. Right. Right. Duck. Left. Duck. Jump. Spin. Duck. This was all said in Jake's head like an instructor teaching him how to dodge danger. All the while it was keeping him from being diced by the very man who taught him how to predict his opponent's movements.

Ducking a particularly dangerous slash, Jake swept Slade's legs from beneath the man, sending Slade onto the ground. Jake flipped away, knowing better to pounce on Slade at the moment. He waited for his father to stand while glaring at him intensively. If he wanted to win this battle, he had to throw Slade off of his game.

"Tell me who trained you." Slade said as he spun his blade in his hand. "They should be pleased to know that you lasted this long with me."

Jake's mind finally settled on the only thing that would probably tick his father off. It was a long shot, but really all he had.

"You still believe that you are the only man to ever be inside your dear sweet Adeline." Slade paused in his mockery at the Spider's words. "I must tell you, she was surprisingly good."

Slade charged for Jake in rage making Jake pleased at himself. A severe curse within his family is the rage that made them do stupid things. Rose's death and Wade's countless deaths were examples of said curse. Jake, like his father, normally used his rage to out-speed and out-match their source of anger. However, the downfall came with the lack of control and common sense. And when Jake was able to spin around his father and have a clear shot at the man's back, it was pretty clear that Slade had lost some of his many years of training to anger.

"Got you," Jake said firing two webs that stuck to Deathstroke's back. He sent a high voltage of electricity that shocked the man before slinging Slade farther down the alley into the only light pole there. "Get up."

Slade grunted. This man had touched Adeline- _his_ Adeline? Worse, said information was being used to get him angry and there was nothing he could do about it. Slade would always care for his deceased ex-wife whether his children knew it or not. And this bug-named imbecile had defiled her.

Slade would have to make him pay.

"I must say," Jake continued. "Your ex was kind of… Energetic. Said that I had that special something that not even a soldier serum could give you. Either that, or she was just a sad thirsty whore."

Slade quickly whipped out his pistol and shot at his opponent, only for the Spider to dodge. The man may not be faster than a speeding bullet, his reflexes made Catwoman appear slow. And that was saying something.

"Stand still!" Slade ordered, firing more shots.

_"You may have overdone it."_ Ben mentally sends his master as Jake is forced to backtrack.

_"You think?!"_ Jake returns.

Slade tossed a disc-shaped object towards Jake, forcing Jake to hop onto the nearby wall. It did not help however as the disc released a powerful pulse that caused Jake and his mechanical friend great pain.

"Shit! Ben detach! Jake growled out.

The spider-like backpack detached from its master and fell lifelessly onto the ground. This caused Jake to grimace for two reasons. Reason one, so long as Ben is attached to his back, the two were linked. Therefore an EMP hurt Jake as much as it did Ben. Reason two was the simple fact that his companion was out of commission for at least sixty seconds and at maximum, five minutes.

Jake sighs. "Azarath… Metrion… Zinthos…"

And like that, he could focus now. All the rage that he had built in the past about his mother's death. All the fear he held about Rose joining the League of Assassins. All the love he held for Artemis. All of it became one. And that one became pretty damn focus on at least maiming his father.

"Now that your main weapon is out of the way, we can end this once and for all." Slade said.

"Remember," Jake hissed. "You asked for this."

Slade attempted to shoot his opponent before Jake released a thick cloud of smoke that concealed him. The smoke evaporated quickly, though the Black Spider was nowhere in sight. Deathstroke scanned his surroundings before a blow to his chin knocked him clear into the air. Jake made himself visible, firing a web to pull his father back down into the ground with great force.

"That actually hurt- Ugh!" Slade was kicked hard in his side, hard enough to send him rolling away from his target.

Jake ran up a wall and leapt for his father, extending both of his stingers as he descended. Deathstroke quickly rolled backwards to cause the Spider's blades to dig deep into the earth. When the Black Spider rose, Deathstroke could see a faint green glow coming from the blades extending from the Spider's forearms.

With a growl, Jake rushed for his father again. He wanted to test his offense with Slade's defense while trying to give Ben time to recharge. His swings were precise and timed well, though Slade proved to be just as evasive as his son, if not more.

One fatal mistake was all Slade needed and it came when Jake jabbed his right arm forward and missed. The older Wilson retrieved a dart from a side pocket and jabbed it into Jake's right side. The pain was immediate and the Black Spider had to retreat a bit, but Deathstroke would not let it be so easy.

"Time," A punch to Jake's left jaw. "To," Another punch to the Spider's right jaw. "Die!"

A twirling kick sent Jake tumbling backwards. Picking himself onto his hands and knees, Jake pulled the dart out of his side. He was poisoned, something that would not be as bad if he had Ben operating and able to inject some form of counter into him.

"The sea wasp," Slade said as he revealed his collapsible staff. "A favorite of mine. Can you feel the burning in your flesh? Your muscles will soon begin to weaken and sooner than later, you shall die. But before then, how about I get a bit of revenge?"

Jake could barely stand as he held his wound while Deathstroke neared him. He backtracked, attempting to put more space between them before his father could reach and beat him.

He had no such luck.

Slade proved to be a master of the staff, being able to land several blows on the Black Spider. Jake knew that the pain had to be endured as he had a larger problem at hand, the jellyfish poison coursing through him.

"You're finished!" Slade said as he went to land a hammering blow on his opponent.

"Not yet!" Jake returned before stabbing Slade in his stomach with one of his stingers.

The older man dropped his staff and backed away. Jake took that moment to grab the manhole cover he was previously on and tossed it at his father, using his strength added with the strength the suit gave him. Slade dodges, firing a grappling hook at Jake.

Sidestepping, Jake smirked. Maybe his father's aim was getting terrible? His smirk disappeared when he saw the manhole cover coming back towards him, being pulled by a grappling hook somehow. It only took Jake half a second to realize his father's gadgetry allowed such a feat. He only cursed the fact that he was slowly losing grips with the pain.

"Not good enough!" Black Spider calls as he dodges the lid, catching it with a web, and slinging it back towards Deathstroke.

Without another remote claw to save him, nor the speed to dodge, Slade was knocked back by the object. The man slid on his back for a moment until he felt a hand on his collar.

"My turn." Jake said as he hoisted his father up.

Slade was stunned. The man's strikes and combination, it was almost as if he was fighting a cross between Batman and Shiva. It was almost scary to know that such a man existed. However, when Slade was thrown aside and able to reach his staff again, he realized that the Black Spider was still just a man.

"Ah!" Jake shouted as he descends on his father, only to be swatted by the staff and hit against the wall.

"Well," Slade said slowly standing and revealing a second handgun. "It's been fun. But now I can finally end this."

Jake laughed. "Really? Then do it."

"Don't test me. I've had a long…" Slade's words died a Jake's face was revealed. "…"

"Do it. You are Deathstroke the Terminator, right? Aren't I just another contract?" Jake taunted.

For once in his life, Slade felt the gun shake in his hand. He was unable to kill his son who presumed was already dead. No matter how much Brain was willing to pay he simply could not do it. And that slight pause was enough for Ben to come scurrying to its master and cling to his back, injecting Jake with the cure he needed.

Jake stands, his face being covered by the black mask once more.

"It seems that you have finally reached a stalemate with me." Deathstroke said, his gun now lowered.

"No. I've won." Jake replied before firing a web that covered Slade's good eye.

With that, Jake swung away from the alley, leaving Slade struggling to get the webbing off. Realizing that he could not due to his body trying to fight the Kryptonian poison Jake injected him with, Slade merely took his mask off. He took a step before hearing a faint beeping sound.

"Well played son," Deathstroke said as he closed his eyes. "It seems you have finally beating me after all… I'm proud."

A few buildings away, Jake watched the small explosions he had Ben plant go off. He knew his father would survive the blast. A part of him was just pleased that he had finally beaten his father.

"See you around Dad." Jake said before leaping and swinging in the direction of his apartment. He was looking forward to a long night of rest.

* * *

[Mount Justice: Happy Harbor, Connecticut]  
[June 16, 20:42:00 EST]

Conner crossed his arms as Jason walked to him. The boy and Conner were not the best of friends and the outfit Jason was wearing was not making it any better. Even without the mask on, Conner despised anyone wearing that damn suit. However, Dick had asked Conner to test Jason's abilities within the Red X suit and Jason had passed with flying colors. Well, he passed the _physical_ portion with flying colors.

Sighing, Conner questioned how he got stuck babysitting while M'gann and Zatanna were put on some secret mission that had them, Wally, and Dick elsewhere.

"See that? I took Killer Moth down by myself." Jason said. "I can handle this suit."

"You also disobeyed orders. Again." Conner pointed out.

Jason huffs. "I don't understand why you keep putting me on teams with _her_. She's just getting in my way!"

"Mia is a part of this team whether you like it or not." Conner said. "And if you have a problem with that, there's the door. Drop your badge and that suit off on your way out and I will tell Dick that you're not ready to lead."

Jason glared at Conner. He hated being a subordinate but Conner Kent continued to force Jason to be so. Worse, he continuingly had to team up with _Speedy_ of all people which anger Jason more. She was not ready to be a full-time hero because she would let the bad guy get away. Jason would never put anything above the mission, not even his teammate's life.

"Fine," Jason said. "I acted on emotion, _again_. What's my punishment?"

"You and Speedy are going on a mission together," Conner's words caused Jason's eyes to widen. "For a week, you both will patrol Gotham City. _Alone_."

"Alone as in…"

"Just you and her. No one else." Conner said. Jason saw the smallest of smirks on the clone's face and sneered.

"You think you're so high and mighty, don't you? Well you can't even fly!" Conner's smirk only grew as he crossed his arms.

"No. But I can jump higher and farther than you can." Jason grunts again. Once more, he hated to be the loser, even when he knows he can never physically outmatch a half-Kryptonian. "Besides, until Miss Martian returns, I'm in command and unless you want to spend another month revealing your feelings with Canary, I suggest you toughen up and do what I say."

Jason just nods. The only thing he and the young man in front of him had in common was their hate for being stuck in Black Canary's therapy sessions. Neither saw the point as their emotions were pretty obvious with the reasons being more obvious. But of course, Black Canary outranked them both and if she deemed someone psychologically unfit to go on the field, they had to sit and talk with her.

"Dismissed." Conner said.

Jason turned, heading for the boom tubes.

"Jason!" The teen stopped at the sound of one of his few friends in the Young Justice League, Barbara Gordon. "So you're the new Red X, huh? I can't say that I like it."

"Come on Barbara, this is the only way I can stand up against guys like the Black Spider." Jason said.

"I know that's what you think, but you can always outsmart him. I know you Jason. You're smarter than him." Barbara responds. "Besides, the last guy that wore that suit…"

"What about him?" Barbara shakes her head. "Why won't anyone tell me about him?"

Barbara blows out a breath. "Alright. I'll tell you a bit about him." Jason was actually pleased to hear that. "His name was Jake. He was… He was my friend at a point of time."

"What? You were friends with-"

"I didn't know." Barbara interrupted. "None of us did. And he was not that big of a jerk at school. In fact, I actually thought of him as a good friend. He even dated…" Barbara paused. "That's not important. Anyway, he was a good guy outside of the Red X suit."

"But he was an asshole." Barbara's lips thin. "Oh come on, I saw the news. He killed people. He robbed banks. I'm not trying to do that. I'm trying to do good."

"Jason… Jake wasn't all bad." Barbara began.

"He wasn't? He almost killed-"

"He did it to save…!" Barbara stopped herself and took a deep breath. She never got to meet Red X personally, but she knew Jake Cross- or Jake Wilson rather. She could never picture Jake doing half the things that Red X did. She could only see him as the star quarterback who deeply cared about Artemis. "Just know that he had reasons for doing what he did. And I'm not saying that those reasons outweigh the actions, but in the end, he wasn't a bad guy. He was my friend."

Jason frowns. "If he was such a good guy, why was Red X such a dick?"

"One day Jason, you'll know." Barbara answered. "Just know that Jake sat the standards high. Red X wasn't a villain. He wasn't a hero. He was his own person with rules he did not break."

"But I'll be a better Red X." Jason said.

"That won't make you a better person." Jason shows his confusion on his face. "Jake… Jake once said that Robin is no one. Nothing more than an idea, a mask. The same can be said about Red X."

"I'm Red X." Jason pointed out.

"No. Anyone could put on the suit and go around calling themselves Red X. The fact I that you lose your true identity at the end of the day and become nothing more than an idea… Nothing more than a mask…" Barbara said as she recalled her talk with Dick. "You will become a boy with no real identity…"

Jason frowns once more. "I don't get it."

Barbara smiled. "I know you don't. But you will soon. You're a smart kid." Jason grins, pleased with the compliment. Normally Dick or Bruce would use the words "rash" and "impulsive" to describe him. "Go home and get some rest. Just remember to go out once and a while as Jason Todd. Then you'll see what I mean."

"I hope so." Jason responded.

Barbara watched the teen walk off before taking a deep breath. Jake's identity was supposed to be a secret that none of original members of the YJL were supposed to tell the newcomers for a good reason. He was still a controversial topic within the Cave and Watchtower. However, Barbara wanted Jason to know a bit of his predecessor just so he did not make the same mistakes Dick and Jake made. Both of them almost lost their friends and loved ones being Red X and now Jason had dawn that skull mask. Could he potentially put his friends in that danger? Worse, would he put himself in the same position that Jake did? Only time would tell.

"Barbara," Conner said. "I got a call from Watchtower. The scarab has been activated."

Barbara just muttered three words that pretty much summed up what Superboy told her and what he was going to tell her.

"Holy shit Batman…"

Now the race to obtain the new Blue Beetle had just begun.


	5. TYL Arc: Chapter 4

Arkham Risings

Three Years Later Arc

Ch.4: Ghosts

[Jade's Apartment: Gotham City, New Jersey]  
[June 17, 09:06:09 EST]

Jade's breath hitched as she reached for the headboard. She wondered where Jake had gotten into the previous night. He didn't stop by her apartment like he said. A part of her questioned if he had done something that would somehow put crosshairs on her back if she thought about dawning her green garbs today. Those thoughts left when Jake showed her strength she had never witnessed and he threw her on the bed. A fire lit inside of her, one that she had not felt in such a long time. Sure, there were other men out there- and a few women- that gave Jade a _tingling_ feeling inside. But only Jake lit that fire.

"Fuck…" Cheshire hisses.

She does not know how long that they had been going at it. Let's see. Jake came in around eight thirty. From the sun's position outside of her window, that had to be roughly thirty minutes ago. They were both in pain from their previous days of work, but he was worth the pain. _This_ was worth the pain.

Besides, she had just wrestled her way to the dominate position.

"Jake." His name slips from her lips as she attempts to take in a deep breath. As usual, her name never leaves his. By now she was used to it. She knew she had his attention. She knew she had him in general.

Artemis would never have Jake like this. While she knew that Jake would submit to her sister and let Artemis take control of him however the blonde saw fit, Jade also knew that Artemis would never grow the balls to even bring Jake to a bed. In Jade's mind, Artemis had her chance years ago. All those nights that Jake would sneak into Artemis's room led to absolutely nothing. Maybe they held hands. Maybe they shared a kiss or two. But ultimately nothing came of it. Jade would always be the one who marked him.

The one who would always own him.

"Jake!"

It was never planned on her part for them to finish together. She figured it could be Jake's doings, but it was never hers. Then again, how could she? By the time Jake finally finished her mind was halfway back from its trip to Mars. Even now, as she was slowly coming to terms about what had just occurred, her mind could barely comprehend how she maintained such a death grip on the headboard.

A small laugh caused her to look down at the man beneath her, her hair creating a messy curtain around her face.

"What's funny?" Jade asked after she regained her breath.

"Picturing the look on my dad's face." Jake answers.

"While we're having sex?" The question was more sincere than anything. Of course, she did feel awkward- and annoyed- that he was picturing Slade's face while with her, but she was more curious than anything.

Jake stares at her and she can feel that fire being reignited. Jade would hate to admit that it was his defiance more than anything that turned her on. The fact that no one could scare him and he would always find a way to get the last laugh was what made her fall for him. Jake took nonsense from no one and scared many people amongst the League of Assassins shitless because he had the ability to kill them at any moment that he felt like it. Rumor was, even Talia knew better than to venture too far from her sword lest Jake ends her long life. That fear is what made Jade lust for him. And the look she was receiving now was making Cheshire seem like a frightened kitten.

But Jade…

Jade loved it.

"Of course," Jake said before flipping them over, forcing the back of Jade's hands to hit the headboard. "Because like you, fighting him gave me a thrill…"

"Tell me." Jade purrs when she fills him pull out.

His left hand crawls across her face and down to her breasts like a spider, sending more chills down her spine. She wanted it to go farther to replace the feeling between her legs he had just taken away from her. But instead, it stops right above her navel.

"After we go do our mission." Jake finally said.

Jade bristles. She was no nymphomaniac, but she did like a nice round or two of sex with the right guy. Jake was the right guy and he was denying her of the only thing she could do for him- and admittedly him to her- that Artemis could not.

"Come on," Jake said as he practically slides out of the bed. "I promise Nyssa that we'd have this done in the next two or three days so I can go find out who this leak is."

"How about," Jade said sitting up. "We kill this Mia bitch, let Nyssa and Talia deal with the spy, and fuck like rabbits?"

"No dice. Someone is making my job harder and I hate that." Jake responds. "You almost sound like you're defending him."

"I'm not defending anyone. I just think that we technically have a day to ourselves and you want to spend it searching for some mysterious person. Someone we don't even know exists outside of Talia's words." Jake's eyes narrow dangerously. And as sick as it may sound, Jade nearly had an orgasm due to her lustful fear that she had grown for him through the years.

"I will find him. And then I'll let Ubu deal with him." Jake tells her before he leans onto the bed so their noses nearly touched. "And afterwards I'll make sure that I fuck you to the point that you won't be able to walk for two weeks."

Jade smirks. "Oh really Junior? You think you could do that to me?"

"It won't be hard." Jade's smirk slowly becomes a genuine smile. "Unless you go to _him_ first. Then I'll just cut your legs off so you can't walk. Ever."

Her smile falters for a split second before she rubs his face gently with her hand.

"There is no he unless you're talking about yourself." Jade stated before kissing the young man. "And you belong to me."

Jake only eyes her. The phrase almost startled him as he was frightened to know the lengths Jade would go to keep him away from another woman like her sister or even Raven if she found out about their past. The average woman was a scary opponent when pissed. A female assassin is ten-times worse.

"I'll meet you outside of Crime Alley in twenty minutes." Jake said standing up straight and nearing the window.

Jade's brow rose in amusement.

"Sure, but are you going out there like that? Not that I have a problem or anything but…" Jade's words slowly dies when the mechanical nuisance that Jake calls Ben crawls onto Jake's back and covers him in the Black Spider suit. "Of course…"

"See you later Sunshine."

Jade rose out of bed and stretched, her muscles slightly in pain but for all the right reasons.

Today was going to be a good day.

* * *

[Wayne Manor: Gotham City, New Jersey]  
[June 17, 09:16:00 EST]

Who was Jake Cross? That question had been haunting Jason all night long. He tried to track the guy down but ended up searching some man in New York with the same name. That angered Jason. How could someone erase themselves from history to the point that not even Batman could find them? If he remembers correctly, Bruce has stated that only Ra's was able to do so. But now this Jason Cross character has.

How?

"Is there something wrong, Master Jason? You seem rather disturbed." Jason snapped back to reality where he was mindlessly stirring the last of his cereal in a bowl of milk.

"No. I was just thinking…" Jason returns.

"I don't mean to be rude, but that much is quite obvious. It's what you're thinking about that worries me." Alfred states.

Jason sighed. "Did you ever meet Jake Cross? And I mean the kid that was Red X. Not the rich guy in New York."

"Jake Wilson? Yes. Quite the charming fellow." Alfred said. "Why do you ask?"

"Because Dick never talks about him. In fact, no one talks about him. They just say that the guy was Red X and he was bad and then Barbara goes and say that he wasn't bad." Jason said. "Who was he?"

"There isn't any easy way to answer this, simply because I have only met him once." Alfred explained. "But if I had to guess, I would say that he was… Busy."

"Busy?"

"From what I know, he was the star quarterback. He also dated… Well I don't think it's my place to say." Alfred said. "I do know that he was quite bright. Even Master Bruce has said so."

Jason frowns. "Why do people think that he was so bad and yet so good?"

"I do know the answer to that." Jason actually sat up with interest. "You see, the dastardly woman known as Queen Bee, current ruler of Bialya, somehow manage to brainwash the members of the Justice League and the Young Justice team. In a twist of events, Red X had the choice of letting a missile be launched down to destroy one of the cities targeted by the Watchtower or save Artemis."

"He saved her?" Jason said. "Why?"

"He did them both. From what I heard, it nearly cost him his life." Alfred states. "He was offered a spot on the YJL and turned it down for unknown reasons."

Jason rose from the table. "That does it then. I'm going to ask all the original members of the YJL until they give me the answer I need. I know Dick won't tell me anything so my next target is… Artemis."

"Miss Crock and Jake have a very complicated history. It might be best to avoid that conversation with her." Jason shrugs.

"Complicated means information. And that's all I want." Jason said. "Thanks again Alfred."

Alfred only sighs. He knew what would happen if Jason went to task Artemis about Jake on the wrong day. He just hoped for Jason's sake that she was in a good mood or else.

* * *

[Gotham City, New Jersey]  
[June 17, 10:03:16 EST]

Jade didn't get it. Jake did.

"She's the target? Why?" Cheshire sneers.

Jake only shook his head with a shrug. Mia Dearden was not a rich girl. She was not born a genius in the field of martial arts with a high aptitude for thievery as well. And she most certainly did not befriend the spawn of one of the most powerful beings in the universe.

But Jake saw something in Mia that made him think about himself. She was hard-working and never one to just sit and think about her losses. He had done his research. He knew of her past and how different it was to his. Yet somehow he knew that in another world, she could have grown into the Heir of the Demon. She had all the tools.

Anger…

A deep sadness…

Regret…

Controlled aggression…

"So how do we do it?" Jade's question made Jake shrug. He honestly did not want to kill the girl, but the last two people that held the "Speedy" position had given him two very extreme memories; memories of love and memories of hate.

"That's up to you Sunshine." The Black Spider replies. "Though I suggest we don't do it in broad daylight, especially in her civilian clothes. That would lead to questioning."

"And no one would question if we killed her as Speedy?" Jade returns.

Jake shakes his head. "Of course not. No one would question a pair of criminals killing a hero who went to stop them. Just a bad day on the job. But for two trained assassins to target a random little girl? That'll raise questions."

"I guess you're right." Jade said. "Still wish we'd just get it over with. She's been doing absolutely nothing all day."

"She's feeling followed and doesn't want to change. I know the feeling all too well." Jake told his partner.

Jade frowns. "Really?"

"Do you really think Talia and Nyssa fully trust me after I returned from the grave?" was the Spider's response. "Hang back a while."

"Why?" Jake simply looks at his partner.

"Red X is nearby." said the Black Spider. "He obviously doesn't like us following his partner. Probably finds her annoying. Must be a reoccurring thing." Cheshire crosses her arms causing Jake to shrug. "Women. They make complicated lovers and annoying partners."

"Like men are any better." Jade argues.

"Our dads have been teammates for years and haven't thought about shooting each other until after you and I became partners and I had that mission with your sister." Jake explains in a knowingly voice. "Ergo, two girls and one guy caused the problem. The gender ration being two to one. Twice the fault of women then it is men."

"Whatever." Cheshire remarks as she scans the area. "Where is Red X at? I can't see him."

"A building behind us. Cloaked I'm assuming." The cat-masked assassin turns her stare to her partner.

"How do you know this?"

"My spider senses are tingling." Jade nearly choked.

"Your what is doing _what_?" she responds.

"The suit senses danger and a lot of Xenothium." Jake elaborates. "I'm sure he's been listening in on our conversation this entire time. Which sucks because I didn't want to kill him."

"Jealous because it looks better on him?" Jade teases.

Jake laughs. "Not in the least. A little peeved that a certain birdbrain Titan allowed someone else to steal the suit. Or maybe he gave it to him?" Jake looks over his shoulder, his infrared vision pinpointing the wearer of his former suit. "Ah there you are. Do you want him or the girl?"

"If all you're doing is following the girl, then I'll take Red X. At least I can have some action." Jade remarks.

Jake raises a brow. "After this morning I thought you could use a break. But whatever. Action is what you want, so I'll let you take him on." Jake's voice then deepens. "Don't kill him Cheshire."

"Aw, but that's the best part." Her coy response gives her a chilling stare from the Black Spider. "Fine, fine. He lives. This time."

"This time." Jake said before leaping off of the building and pursuing Mia.

"Alright," Jade said revealing her sai. "I've always wanted to test my skills against Red X when we weren't holding anything back. I guess I get my wish."

"Be careful what you wish for," Jason said revealing himself. "It might come true!"

"I'm betting on that." responds Jade.

* * *

[Old Gotham Church: Gotham City, New Jersey]  
[June 17, 10:14:10 EST]

Mia's breathing calms down as she sat down. This would be the first time in her life that she willingly went to church. Her faith had died a long time ago when the cruel world slapped the darkest of reality across her face. Now, she believed that there was probably some higher power or being. But she had lost the faith that said being cared for her. It wasn't favoritism, it was Darwinism. The strong would be granted peace and the weak would be killed off.

And she was one of the weak.

"Do you think it was that easy?" Mia nearly jumps out of the pews. The Black Spider stuck to one of the windows and slowly crawled down, sending fear throughout her entire body. He was strong and she was weak. This would be the end.

"What do you want?" Mia asked.

Jake hops off the window pane, careful not to shatter the strange picture of Azrael, and lands safely in the aisle.

"I'm not going to kill, especially not in a place like this." he jokes lightly. "I just wanted to talk."

"You're an assassin, aren't you? You wanted to kill-"

"I'm not going to kill you or anyone for a very long time." Jake interrupted. "I want you to know that I understand, Mia." Mia flinches when he calls her name. "Your father beats and abandons you. Your mother sells you into prostitution. I know a lot about you which is why I wanted to talk to you."

"About what?" she asked.

"You." Jake answers. "I have a question to ask you and then I'm gone. Simple right?"

Mia crosses her arms in an insecure manner.

"What's the question?"

Jake walks towards her.

"I found your former, uh, employer." Jake saw the anger flash in her eyes. "My question is: What would you do if I gave you that information?"

"I'd kill him!" Mia hisses.

"Would you?" Jake asked before holding out a slip of paper. "Here is your chance."

"This…" Mia hesitates on taking the paper. "Why? Why are you giving me this? Are you trying to get me to be like you? A murderer?"

Jake laughs. "Dear child, I haven't killed anyone yet. I'm just trying to give you the revenge you deserve."

"Why?" Mia growls.

"Because I'm betting that you won't kill him." Jake answered.

"I'm not weak."

"Quite the opposite. And that strength is going to be what keeps you from killing him." Jake `replied. "But if you do prove to be too weak to handle your emotions like your partner, Red X, then you will kill him and you will go to jail for a long time… Or worse…"

"Or worse what?" asked the teen.

"Or worse I'll have to do my mission and kill you." Jake said. "I'm giving you that power now to shape out your future. Potential like yourself shouldn't waste it with thoughts of not being strong enough. You are strong enough. Stronger than Roy Harper. Stronger than Artemis Crock. They don't carry half the burden that you do on a daily basis. They never will."

"You… How do you know this?" Mia said. "Who are you? What do you want from me?"

"I merely want to see you grow. That's all." Jake said extending the paper to her. Mia slowly grabs it. "The first part of growing up is knowing when to let things go. Another part of growing up is knowing who you can trust."

"Is this the part where you tell me that I'm on the wrong side?" Jake shakes his head.

"No. This is where you take the information I'm giving you and I leave you to your thoughts." Jake said as he turns around.

"Wait!" Mia calls. "What if… What if I kill him?"

Jake paused in his steps. "You won't."

"How do you know?" Mia asked as she looked at the paper in her hand.

"Because you're stronger than you know." Jake said before leaping into the air and activating his cloaking device, giving the illusion that he had teleported out of the room.

Mia stared at the paper.

"You are stronger now…" Mia said to herself. "You are strong…"

She repeated this over and over until she believed it. And with her new thoughts, she stuffed the paper into her pocket and headed out. By the end today, Mia Dearden would have her revenge.

* * *

[Reyes's Home: El Paso, Texas]  
[June 17, 11:18:02 MST]

Killing Ted Kord wasn't easy. There were problems both internal and external that affected Kaldur. However, it was the easiest part. The hardest part now was doing what Ocean Master did not order. Now it was time to do his _true_ mission.

"Okay," Kaldur heard the teen say. "Let's go over this one more time. You are a bug from outer space attached to my spine? That's completely loco amigo."

Kaldur stopped at the teen's door before a little girl caught his attention. The two stared at one another as Kaldur brought a finger up to his lips to signal her to be quiet. She took in a deep breath as if she was going to scream, forcing Kaldur to plead. He was mostly in his Manta uniform, his helmet being the only thing absent. The girl exhales silently as Kaldur stalks into her brother's room.

"So you found it." Kaldur's voice was enough for Jaime to leap from his bed in fear, the Blue Beetle suit reacting to his fear and activating immediately. "At ease. I am not here to harm you."

_"That was the man that killed Ted."_ The scarab, Khaji Da, spoke to Jaime.

"You killed Ted Kord." Jaime announced. "What do you want with me?"

"My name is Kaldur and I'm here to warn you." Kaldur said before tossing a small flash drive onto Jaime's bed. "The armor you wear is a weapon used by an unknown alien force that conquers worlds for financial gain. We don't know exactly who the armor works for, but we are sure that it will lead them to Earth sooner than later."

"If what you're saying is true," Jaime returned. "How come the 'aliens' haven't arrived yet?"

"Ted Kord never got the suit to activate. It has been inactive until last night when you activated it." Kaldur explained.

Jaime looked at his hands. "That can't be… That would mean that I-"

"You will be contacted by the Young Justice League. They have technology and techniques that will help you and the scarab bond. I suggest you take their offer." Kaldur said. "And when you do, don't tell them that we met."

"What about you?" Kaldur pressed a button on his suit near his collar, his helmet appearing.

"When the time comes, I will return to help you. You are our biggest chance against the invasion that we have." Manta answered. "We will be in touch."

"We?" questioned Jaime. Jaime's question goes unanswered as Kaldur left via window. "Alien invasion? Secret alien weapon? No problemo…"

* * *

[Cross Enterprises: Gotham City, New Jersey]  
[June 17, 15:51:47 EST]

Jade was a bit sour that Red X escaped. Jake was not surprised. He knew that Dick would not lend that suit out to just anyone, that is if the person did not steal it like Jake did. But Jake and Jade had separated for a brief second, Jake going to "investigate" whoever it was that sole The Light to the JL. However he ended up perched atop of his own building, looking at the city below with interest.

Jake's mind wandered a bit. Jade was acting questionable these past few days. A part of him did not want to believe that she was indeed the spy he was looking for but logic strongly argued against the part of mind. Truthfully, she fit the bill all too well not to be the spy. Her secret rendezvous with some male was enough to prove that her time was shared, but not that she was a spy. Her defensive responses, however, answer the question for him. She was hiding something big from him and he would find out. Soon.

Sighing, Jake then thinks of Jade's sister, Artemis. He had the misfortune of spying into Artemis's room while she and Wally were in an intimate moment. Thankfully, Mrs. Crock had unintentionally interrupted which stopped them from going farther. A smile came on Jake's face as he thought that somehow, someway, Mrs. Crock would always be a Team Jake member. Though he doubts that the woman- like her daughters- would never forgive Jake for his stunt three years ago. He didn't blame them. He would be pissed as well if his mother somehow walked up to him and said that her death was all a hoax.

_"Talia approaches."_ Ben warned. The machine was now very familiar to her presence, being able to pick her up practically anywhere.

The woman came from the stairwell wearing her leather suit which made Jake believe she was on official League of Assassins' business. This made Jake slightly irritated as he had warned Talia about mixing the League of Assassins with Cross Enterprises. Ra's had no control over his business and never would so long a Jake drew breath.

Deactivating his Black Spider suit so he stood in a white shirt and jeans, Jake leaned against ledge.

"Something wrong Miss Tate?" he asked.

"I take it that you either know where Mia is or that she is already dead." Talia spoke. "Because you don't seem like you're searching for her."

"Bite me." Jake said with a small smirk.

"Don't tempt me…" Jake's smirk grows as Talia steps next to him, scanning the city. "Your run-in with Bruce last night has him on high alert. He believes that I knew of your resurrection and I didn't."

"Might've done you a favor. They say that Selina Kyle was there." replied Jake as he crosses his arms. "Not saying that you couldn't take her or anything, but I don't think you would've wanted to engage her in front of your dearly beloved."

"People say you sound like your father… I'm not so sure. In fact, I think you sound more like _my_ father than anything." Talia said.

Jake shrugs. "Spend three years with the old guy and he sort of rubs off on you." Jake then eyes Talia's face while she continues to stare at the city. "This spy… Do you have any news for me? Any leads to where I might find him or her?"

"No. But do not worry yourself with such a small thing." Now Jake frowns. The League was dead-set on finding this spy and now Talia was telling him to forget about it. "We have more important matters to discuss. The Justice League will undoubtedly begin to look into Cross Enterprises. They will discover who you are. What you are."

"Is that such a bad thing? I haven't done anything illegal." Talia glances at the young man out the corner of her eyes. "All of my crimes are pinned down on Jake Wilson's rep sheet and he is dead. There was no money collected due to my death, so there isn't any insurance fraud. And as soon as one of them cries 'Black Spider' I'll simply reveal each of them… To the inmates of Arkham Asylum that is…"

"That would start a riot. Do you know what the Joker would do if-"

"Not worried, are you?" Jake teased.

"Of course not." Talia spat angrily. "I'm just making sure you know what you're thinking of putting the Joker through."

Jake chuckles. "Talia, we both know that Bruce Wayne couldn't hold a candle to the Joker. Not because he lacks any skills that Batman has, but because Bruce Wayne has too many attachments in this world. Liabilities…"

"I am no liability." said the woman.

"You were clearly my trump card last night." Jake points out. "In fact, I'm sure that ol' Batsy is just a tad bit worried that I might stick one of my stingers into you." Jake then smirks. "Kind of a dirty, erotic picture, huh?"

"You may have aged and grown more skilled," Talia responds. "But you're still a boy. Nothing more and nothing less than a boy."

"Oh don't tell me you haven't seen me in that light before. I am handsome, rich, and hold your father's praise." Jake said. "Kill my parents in an alley and I'm nothing more than a Bruce Wayne remake."

"But you aren't him and you never will be."

"Thank you." Talia was shocked by his response and was sure he saw it. "The last thing I want to do is become someone like him. I do intend on getting married someday and have kids, not babysit a crime-infested city for the rest of my life."

Talia hums. "You do know that that is my father's plan, right?" She sees Jake shrug again and turns her attention back to the city. "You will rule his empire with me or Nyssa at your side. A concubine is allowed, but that is strictly for the family line to be ensured. Once the Demon's Blood gets inside of you, you will be the new Ra's al Ghul."

"A wife and a girlfriend? Now what man can turn that down?" jokes Jake.

"A wise one." Talia's words makes Jake grin wider. "What are you smiling about now?"

"You sound as if you're warning me of something you're not supposed to believe in." Jake answered.

"What are you talking about?" Talia questioned.

"You and Nyssa have made it very clear that you don't see me succeeding your father as leader of the League of Assassins," Jake explains. "So the fact that you would be jut the slightest bit annoyed that I would choose either of you to be my bride and have one or two girls on the side shouldn't be in your mind at all… Unless you know differently now."

"…" Talia's silence causes Jake to momentarily smirk in satisfaction. "You have shown potential, I will give you that. But don't think that that changes anything between us."

"Us? Have you already erased Nyssa's name from my possible choices?" Jake taunts.

"You are very annoying." Talia growled.

"I know. And the sad part is that you're up here alone with me with just a pistol and your sword while I have all of my weapons in the form of a spider-like nano-technological symbiote." Jake told her. "There is virtually nothing stopping me from throwing you over this ledge and seeing if your 'beloved' would come to your rescue or not. Though we both know he won't. He'll just get angry after seeing this on the news and try to track me down for the rest of his life."

"So certain he won't find you, are you?" questioned Talia.

"Are you certain that he will?" Talia turns towards Jake.

"You are questioning if the World's Greatest Detective could find you if he wanted to?" Talia said. "Even you aren't that dumb."

"I did fool him to believe that I was dead. Doesn't that mean anything?" Talia's lips pursed. He hadn't just fooled Bruce. He fooled them all. "Either way, I don't plan on going toe-to-toe with B-man for a long time. Not until I find just one weakness…" Talia felt herself hesitate when Jake's eyes roam her. "In which case, I may need you to carry his heir after all."

"That's a diabolical plan. Something the old you would have never approved of." Talia said.

"Don't act like you don't like that. The darker side of me." Jake said before standing up straight. "I'm not in this to take over the world, Talia. In fact, I don't care if you do or do not end up marrying Bruce and having his kids. I do care for peace though. If not world peace, then at least inner peace. That is something that your father and I do share in common. A way to end our inner demons."

"Is that what that mark on your back is about?" Talia was unprepared for when Jake spins on her, his suit activating faster than ever now, and his left stinger pressed against her throat.

"You don't mention that to anyone, understood?" he threatened.

"What if I did?" Talia was not about to show fear even if she was questioning what Jake would do.

"I will kill you, bring you back, and then dismember you." Talia blinked. That was new. "And if I don't, then a certain demon most certainly would."

"So that mark is demonic. Intriguing…" Talia said.

"I'm not playing Talia. This doesn't reach anyone, especially your father." Jake points out.

"Don't you trust me?" Jake glares at the woman.

"I would say as far as I can throw you, but I can throw you quite far. Especially from up here." Jake said.

"Then do it. But wouldn't that be killing me?" Talia mocks.

"Do you really want to test that inner demon I was telling you about?" Jake's cold voice actually got Talia to shake her head no. "Then listen to me and listen well. I'm going to allow you to live with the knowledge that you even seen it. If for some reason you betray me," Talia hisses as the blade moves from her throat and begins to bury itself into her shoulder. "I will show you a true demon…"

Jake backs away from Talia and sighs heavily, his suit deactivating as he exhales. Talia takes this time to study his face. He had more of his father's facial features than his mother's, not to say that he didn't have some of Adeline's features. He was handsome yet not overly so that would make any and all women fall for his smile. Smart as well with a mind that could rival his father's. Still, he had quite a bit to go if he was actually going to succeed her father.

"Hold still." Jake said revealing a small syringe. Talia gasped when he stabbed her in her upper left arm. "You were poisoned. Even if it was just a small dose, it has its effects."

"Perhaps you and I have just gotten off on the wrong foot," Talia said as Jake removed the needle from her arm. "At one point of time, we didn't draw blades on each other."

"I will say this once and only once." Jake said. "I will not tell you what that mark is, so don't ask."

"Is it a variant of the Mark of Scath?"

Jake went to reply before Jade contacted him.

_"Speedy and Red X are here. Should I engage them?"_ Jade questioned.

Jake activated his suit again.

"Do what you want Sunshine. I'm on my way." Jake said, using Ben's communication system. Jake glanced at Talia. "We'll talk about this later."

Talia watched the masked man leap from the building fearlessly. She looked over the ledge to see him swinging on a black web, hurriedly swinging towards his destination. She watched him swing away before rubbing where he had just injected the needle into her. He was quite protective over that mark on his back. It only made her want to know what it was even more.

* * *

[Park Row: Gotham City, New Jersey]  
[June 17, 16:01:00 EST]

Jake could see Cheshire in pursuit of Speedy and Red X. He wanted to chase after them, but he had to check something first. Landing in a small alley, he saw a bleeding man panting while holding his side.

"So she didn't kill you, huh? I'm not surprised." Jake said crossing his arms.

"That little bitch! She… She came out of nowhere!" Richard retorts. "Took the other girls."

Jake laughs. "A woman's scorn. Better watch out for it." Jake then looks upwards. "Now if you'd excuse me, I have somewhere else I have to be. But I'll be back to finish what Speedy obviously did not do."

"Wh-what?!" Jake leaps into the air, using a web to slingshot him onto a roof.

Landing in a crouched stance, Jake looks around.

_"Ben, where'd they go?"_Jake questions.

_"They went North."_ Ben responds. _"Danger coming from the behind."_

Jake turns to see a boy in a wheelchair and frowned. There was supposed to be some mystical threat there as he was getting high readings of magic in the area.

"You want my friends?" the boy asked.

"And you're going to stop me?" Jake spoke. "I don't really like fighting guys in wheelchairs. I normally just put them there."

"Captain Marvel!" Jake turned his head as a bolt of magical lightning struck the kid. When Jake looked again, he saw that the kid was now flying wearing a blue and gold version of Captain Marvel's outfit.

"Didn't see that one coming," Jake commented before crossing his arms. "So what do I call you? Captain Marvel Junior?"

"No. Lieutenant Marvel." Jake was actually amused that, while the boy's body stayed roughly the same, he gained a deeper tone after the transformation. "And I won't let you hurt my friends!"

"I'm sorry," Jake said holding his hands up. "But I'm not the one you should be worried about. My partner is."

"I'm going to stop you right here, right now!" Jake cursed his luck as the godly empowered teen flew towards him.

Firing a quick web that blinded Lieutenant Marvel, Jake rolled out of the way. Lieutenant Marvel flies blindly onwards before stopping to rip the webbing off of his face with a scowl. With a mocking laugh, Jake swings off forcing Lieutenant Marvel to chase after him.

"Super speed is nothing," Jake said landing on a building and changing directions by leaping off. "If your mind is too slow to keep up."

Lieutenant Marvel grunts as he is forced to chase after the veteran thief. True, super speed did nothing in this case as Jake would simply change directions whenever the empowered teen thought he had a clear shot. To Freddie, it was as if that no matter what angle he came from, the Black Spider would always know he was coming.

How?

As for Jake, he knew one thing was surely off about this Marvel reincarnation. Unlike Captain Marvel, this guy got his powers from saying the name "Captain Marvel". So that meant that he just had to irritate the kid long enough to fall for such an obvious trap. And speaking of traps, why not involve one of the hottest villains there was in Gotham City? As the gears began turning in Jake's mind, he took a sharp right turn, barley dodging his pursuer. It was time to end this.

"Alright," Jake said stopping in front of a shop. "I'll give you one freebie. But make it count or else you'll be sorry." Jake then holds up a hand. "But before you do, I want to warn you not to-"

Jake could see Marvel's body tense, preparing to launch. His training with Shiva had helped him read body language better than he could ever. So with a well timed leap, he was able to dodge what many would seem unavoidable. The sound of shattering glass behind him told him where Lieutenant Marvel had gone through.

Jake smirks beneath his mask as he sees the shattered glass of the nearby flower shop. As all Gothamites know, one does not just go rampaging in a flower shop after a breakout on Arkham Island because it normally means that one former botanist will strike. And of course Jake knew exactly where said botanist was hiding today.

"You can't keep dodging me forever!" Lieutenant Marvel shouts as he shoots through the wall and tackles Jake.

Jake was able to get his legs between the two and push Marvel away with a simple monkey flip. Feeling his newly acquired sixth sense of danger, Jake turns to the irate woman.

"Who _dares_ destroy my babies?!" Jake humbly bows at her.

"That would be the son of Captain Marvel over there." Jake said thumbing towards Lieutenant Marvel who was now livid that he could not catch a man in a spider suit.

"I am not Captain Marvel!" Again Jake grins as the lightning bolt from earlier strikes the man, reverting him back into the crippled teen from earlier. "Crap. Captai-mm!

"Uh-uh," Jake said wagging a finger after gagging the boy with a web. "I think it's time for you to be put in time-out."

"I agree," Poison Ivy hisses. "For what you have done to my shop, my plants, my _babies_…!"

"I'd make it fast Red. His friends will be here soon. You know, Bats and the rest." Jake said before the three hears a scream from the distance. "I think that's for me. See you guys around."

In the back of Jake's mind, he feared that Jade had done it. She had somehow killed Mia Dearden. That was never his intentions. He wanted to save her and if needed give her a new life and have her work as his apprentice. She would be protected by Ra's wrath in exchange for her going through the same grueling training that Shiva had put him through. It seemed like a fair trade in Jake's mind. Ultimately he would be saving a life at the risk of his own. But that would not be possible if Jade killed Mia.

Finding a mask-less Cheshire on the roof of an old Ace Chemicals building, Jake's worry grew tenfold.

"Is it done?" he asked her as he walked towards her.

"Better." Jake frowned at her words. "I killed Red X."

Jake blinked. "Wh-what?"

"He's dead. As in not getting back." Jade told him. "And this time, _I_ was there to make sure that Red X was indeed dead. But I didn't get the girl. Did you want to go back or…?"

"No. In fact, I think you need to skip town for a while." Jade was confused by the man's words. "I'll report this to Ra's. Take his anger for you for not killing Mia but someone else."

Jade stepped to him. "What's wrong? You're not telling me something."

"I believe that Red X was the new Robin." Jake stated. "And if he was, then you'll have hell to pay when the Bat-clan finds out. Let me deal with this Jade."

"Oh shit, really?" Jade said before releasing a scoff. "Oh well. I wanted to kill Robin anyways."

"Now is not the time for personal vendettas." Jake told her as he turned. "I'll have a jet to send you wherever." He paused and looks over his shoulder. "Where do you want to go?"

Jade shrugs. "If it's a free vacation, I don't really care. Anywhere really. New York. Seattle. Star City."

"Fine." Black Spider said. "Go to the Cross Enterprise building. A helicopter will take you to the jet. And Jade," Jade was shocked when he called her name. It wasn't the Jake thing to do while they were both in costume. "Please go straight there and stay safe."

Jade was shocked. No, she was beyond shocked. Was Jake actually worried about her safety? This wouldn't be the first time he had shown care about her wellbeing but this was so much different than the anger he used to show. Back when she would get in danger, Jake would show her a side of him that could scare Trigon shitless. Now he was showing worry. Was it Batman? Robin…? Well the original one as she had just slain the second.

"Jake," Jade said quietly. "Thank you."

Jake nods before leaving. Today was not supposed to go like it had. He should not have wasted that time toying with Lieutenant Marvel. He should not have told Jade to engage the two teens without being there. And now he had to do the one thing that would probably buy him and Kaldur some time. He hoped that it would be enough time for Gemini to return from her little space trip.

He had to tell Artemis the truth…

* * *

[Mount Justice: Happy Harbor, Connecticut]  
[June 18, 09:21:20 EST]

Jason Todd was dead. That was a how her morning began, with the knowledge that another Red X had died and another protégé of the Green Arrow was there when it happened. Maybe it was a sign? Either way, Artemis regrouped with her former allies as they attempted to plan on the next course of action. She would not take part of this action, of course, but Artemis did feel obliged to be there to mourn Jason's death. Even if she hadn't completely forgiven Dick for not telling her that Jake was Red X…

"Cheshire… She was just too good…" Mia's words were filled with dread and frustration. Artemis knew that feeling too well. The girl was obviously angry that she couldn't handle Cheshire alone, let alone defeat the assassin with help.

"I knew I shouldn't have given him that suit." Dick's words were low, but the trained ears could pick them up.

"Hey, you didn't know that-"

"I should've known!" Dick stopped Victor- Cyborg- before he could even finish his sentence. "I should've known! And now Jason…" Dick paused and shook his head. "I got to get out of here."

"Come on man, you have to be here. Batman said-"

"Screw him!"

No one tried to stop Dick, though Wally did walk after him. Artemis let out a small sigh. Death was an inevitable thing in life, yet when it hits a loved one, it is the hardest thing to accept. As a hero she knew the risks she was taking. She knew that there could be a day when someone came to her mother giving her the grave news. But Artemis could not accept that Jake, a guy that had been a thief long before she was a hero, died in a similar business. And now Dick was having that same problem, _again_. This time it was with his brother.

"Mia, I think you should rest." Black Canary suggested. Artemis knew the woman only showed up during the hardest of times for the YJL as M'gann was now a pretty good counselor for the team. "Come."

Artemis could see Mia give her a look before walking away with Dinah. There was a small wall between Artemis and her replacement. It came when people asked Artemis to return to the Team and train them, Mia especially, and Artemis refused. Mia never understood why Artemis didn't want to return and Artemis doubts the girl would realize the reason soon.

"Hey," M'gann voiced out to Artemis who had been the only person not discussing anything with anyone else. "Are you okay? You seem lost."

Artemis sighs. "I feel like this is partly my fault."

"Artemis-"

"She's my sister Megan." Artemis stopped right there. She always made a mental note to say "M'gann" when they were alone and "Megan" when in public. But now she hardly saw the Martian as a Martian, even with green skin. "And Mia… I should've trained her. I could've prepared her for things like this."

"Lieutenant Marvel was there. He was tied up by Black Spider and Poison Ivy," M'gann spoke. "I doubt that you could take on all three of them."

"I could've given Jason a better chance of survival." M'gann's lips thinned, obviously not liking the what-if that Artemis was insinuating. "Jade wouldn't have killed me."

"You don't know that." M'gann points out. "Your sister… Something is off with her. I know you don't want to think so, but with her and Roy now… We're just worried that he could give her the information to hunt us down. All of us."

"Then what stopped her from doing it the first time, huh?" Artemis argues.

"You know _who_ it was that stopped her the first time and you said never to bring him up unless you are ready." M'gann said firmly. "Come on Artemis, things are different now. And I know you don't want to believe this, but it's been three years. And Jake wouldn't want you to give this up because he died."

"This doesn't have to do with Jake." Artemis growls. "This is…! Everything, Megan, it has to do with everything. My sister, my dad, my mom, Wally, you, everything!"

M'gann sighs. "Artemis, Jason's death had nothing to do what happened then. It's not your fault."

"How else would he even be Red X?" The question made M'gann think quietly. Artemis made a pretty strong point. "I… I hate him for that. I blame _him_ for this. But at the same time…"

**"INTRUDER ALERT! INTRUDER ALERT!"**

The blaring sound had all members of the YJL looking around. Artemis made the subconscious reach for her quiver that she did not have. Realizing that her heroic reflexes had yet to die, she eyed M'gann who immediately attempted to seek the intruder out. However, when the lights died and a thick fog grew in the cave, Artemis knew that M'gann's concentration was fractured.

"Megan, we…" Artemis's words died when she turned to see, not her best friend, but a gruesome version of M'gann. She backed away and blinked, tripping over the downed body of Beast Boy. "Gas… Scarecrow…"

Artemis's words fell short of M'gann's ears as the Martian fell over, unconscious. The former archer could feel her heart rate climbing as she tried to back away from any and everyone. They all looked different, each appearing as a different and horrifying version of themselves. A footstep made her look up and she screamed at the sight of a man- or some humanoid creature- with eight legs.

"Sleep well." And with that, Artemis's world went black.

* * *

[Happy Harbor, Connecticut]  
[June 18, 9:33:26 EST]

Kidnapping. Jake laughed at himself as he thought about this. He was reduced to kidnapping someone he could have just called. Not only that, but he had to somehow get her into a hotel room without people knowing.

"Uh… Ugh…" Artemis groans as she sits up on the bed slowly. She looked around the room. "Where am I?"

"At a hotel." Artemis whips her head to see Jake standing against the wall. He wore a black t-shirt, black jeans, yet white shoes. "Good morning Goddess."

"J-Jake?" Jake did not smile. He simply watched her go through a range of emotions until she settled on the one emotion he was sure would come; Rage. "You!"

Artemis immediately pounced for the man, though he countered and threw her back onto the bed. She lies shocked that he even did so but does not attack again.

"You had your one freebie, remember? You slapped me." Jake said. Artemis was a bit shocked that he didn't sound angry about the slap, in fact his voice was eerily calm. "We need to talk."

"Talk? Talk?! You get _killed_ and the first thing you want to do is talk?!" Artemis retorts as she stands on the floor. "I thought you were dead Jake! Not to mention the fact that you almost killed Wally!"

"That was never my intentions… Well, I did think about it once but that has nothing to do with-"

"And now you're making jokes about it!" Artemis shouts. "Did you ever think about what would happen if-"

"If Ra's actually got his hands on you? Yeah, I did. That's why I did what I had to do. You're safe and that's all that matters." Artemis swallows quietly. "But I have something to tell you before we go through that. I need you guys to lay off the Black Spider and Manta."

"Wha…? No." Jake sighs heavily. "You? You're the Black Spider?" Jake nodded. "I should've seen that one coming. Did you know that Jade was going to kill Jason?"

"Firstly, Mia was the target, _my_ target. And no, I didn't know she was going to kill Red X." Jake said. "I wasn't going to kill Mia. I needed her."

"To what? Spy on us?" Jake scoffs.

"I don't need people to spy for me. If I wanted to break into that stupid clubhouse and shut it down, I would. Oh wait, just did that. How else would you be here?" says Jake as he crosses his arms. "Artemis, I want you to know that it was never my intentions for anyone to get hurt last night."

"Really? Did you leave a teenage boy against Poison Ivy?" Despite the seriousness in the air, Jake laughs. "And now you're laughing?!"

"Hey, in my defense, he wasn't a crippled teenage boy for most of the fight. He was jacked on godly steroids." Artemis rolls her eyes. "He was. And I tried to tell him not to step on the flowers but he never let me finish my sentence."

"What did you want?" Artemis questioned.

"I…" Jake began before pausing. "I want to tell you what really happened that night. And before you ask, yes. I'm hoping that if you knew the truth you could get your friends to lay off of us for just a month, two at the max. So will you listen to me?"

Artemis sits on the bed. "Talk."

"Kaldur never killed me. In fact, he only did what I asked." Artemis actually gasps at the news, Jake now stepping towards her. "I asked him to do it in order to make it real enough for Ra's to believe it. Once the old man thought I was dead, he would leave people I cared about alone. The only reason I held a gun at Wally's head was to make it look real."

Artemis's eyes narrow. "And you did all of this for me?"

"Not just you, but if you want it to make it all about you, I won't stop you." Jake said with a smile. Again Artemis rolls her eyes, but this time more playfully than the first. "Kaldur leaving the Team was also part of the plan. We needed to get inside of the Light to find out what they were all about. We don't know what the big plan is, but we know it has something to do with… Aliens…"

"Aliens…?" repeated the blonde woman.

"Not Martians but something else. We thought that it might have something to do with the scarab but now we're not so sure. It seems bigger than that." Jake said as he sat on the bed next to Artemis. "Of course, Kaldur and I can't just call each other every day as Ra's and Ocean Master aren't the best of friends. Therefore, Ocean Master's new Conqueror of Atlantis and Ra's Heir of the Demon cannot be seen talking a lot. Especially now that we know that there is a leak in the Light."

"You haven't found them?" Artemis asked, wondering if Jake even knew about Jade and Roy.

Jake frowns at her. "You know?" Artemis quickly shakes her head, something that makes Jake curious but he doesn't push. "No, we haven't found him or her yet. Though I suspect our former friend with the arrows is behind it."

"The Justice League is also looking into it. I don't have the information because I'm no longer a part of the YJL." Artemis explains. "If you want your information, I'd suggest you attempt to break into the Watchtower."

Jake chuckles. "You really want me to get caught, don't you?" Artemis shrugs with a grin. "Anyway, with this leak out here, it makes our mission that much harder."

"So you've been a hero all along?" Artemis lightly teases.

"No. As soon as the Light and their contact are gone, I go back to being a thief. Nothing more and nothing less." Jake said before rising. "I need you to promise me that you won't do anything stupid Artemis and go after the Light or your sister."

"Jake-"

"Promise me that Artemis." Jake interrupts. "I'd hate to have to choose between you and your sister. Finding another partner would be so boring."

"Oh really? Did you think of that before you slept with her?" Jake shook his head. "At least you're honest."

"I don't think you want me to be honest." Jake said.

"Were there others?" Jake was silent. "Oh my God… You… You slept with Jade _and_ someone else?! I actually thought better of you!"

"I didn't have a choice." Artemis scoffs at his words.

"A choice? You didn't have a choice between screwing some random girl or being faithful to-"

"The girl kissing the speedster? Right. And to be honest, I had sex with Kori _after_ New Years and _after_ I trained with Shiva the first time. Because on her home planet Tameran, sex isn't a big deal and she _paid_ me sex in exchange for me finding her brother." Jake said. "As for Jade, we both know that she is jealous of you. And we both know that when she's angry she tends to go on a rage. So I sort of quenched that flame before anyone got burned."

Artemis crossed her arms. "A part of me wished that _something_ would've got burned. You wouldn't have been able to use it so many times."

"I assure you, your sister is clean of any and all sexual diseases." Jake commented. "But if those are the games you want to play, just remember that you have the fastest man alive in your bed and Jade has the best."

"Are you really going there?" Artemis questions.

"Hey you started it with burn joke." Jake said. "I'm just pointing out the obvious thing that Wally must _eat_ something to last, what, thirty seconds at best? Then he needs to recharge? And then you have me who… Well…"

"You're so full of yourself." Artemis said.

Jake grins. "Am I? You do know that stats-wise I am still the best quarterback at Gotham Academy, right?" Artemis found herself grinning a bit. "And plus, I can still make you smile. Even when you're pissed about me throwing myself off of a building and having sex with your sister… And Starfire."

"Star-"

"But smiling nonetheless." Jake quickly cuts her off.

"When Dick finds out…" Artemis says shaking her head in disbelief.

"He won't. And you're not going to tell him. Wanna know why?" Artemis nods. "Because he knew I was Red X and he didn't tell you. You had to find out."

"…" Artemis thinks for a moment. "Fair enough."

"I have to leave now." Jake said. "But before I do, I want to tell you that I am terribly sorry about everything. I didn't mean to put you through what I know I did and a part of me wished that I could have taken you away with me. Not dying, but somewhere away from Ra's and Dick and everything. Just you and me." Jake smiles. "But I know that that's just being selfish and you deserve to be happy."

"This makes me think that I was just more than a mission." Artemis half-jokes.

"It started that way. I honestly didn't know much about you and I didn't care to." Jake said. "Then Jade told me that I couldn't kill you because you are her sister and I was just stuck. And then one day I woke up and the line between professional and personal got erased. You became more than a mission."

"Do you ever think that we…?" Jake shook his head sadly before activating his suit.

"I know how it ends to marry an assassin and I don't want you to end up like my mom. Stay with Wally. He's not as good as me, but he'll keep you safe from the small things that I won't worry myself over." Jake said.

"And you?" Artemis asked quietly.

"I'll watch over you from time to time, but don't expect me to follow you twenty-four seven. I'm done with that mission." Artemis exhales a loud breath of frustration.

"No! I mean what will you do?" she restated.

"…" Jake's silence made her uncomfortable. "The thing about my position is that Ra's wants me to take over the League of Assassins by killing him. In the event that I do, I'm automatically bound to Nyssa or Talia, my choice. Would I want you to be with me with the knowledge that I will have to get one of them pregnant? No. So until I find a way out of this situation, I'm fine where I am."

Jake nears the window and opens it.

"One more thing," Artemis said to him. "Be careful. I lost you once."

"You still wear that necklace I gave you for Christmas, right?" Artemis nods. "Then you've never really lost me in the first place. See you around Goddess."

Artemis watched Jake leave before revealing her phone. Oddly, she was just getting a signal and figured that Jake was somehow jamming it for his protection. She didn't call Wally like she should have, she called M'gann.

_"Artemis?! Where are you?!"_ Of course her motherly friend was worried beyond worry.

"I'm fine. Whoever did this got away…" Artemis said quietly. "Hey are you alone?"

_"Yeah. Why?"_ Artemis sighs.

"I saw Jake." she whispers. M'gann gasps loudly on the other end. "Keep it quiet, okay? But we talked. He explained a lot to me. But I…"

_"You what?"_ M'gann said. _"Artemis, you didn't sleep with him or anything, did you?"_

"No!" Artemis loudly replied. "No, I just… I didn't tell him about Jade and Roy."

_"…"_ Silence. M'gann was so quiet that Artemis could pick up Conner's voice in the back barking out orders on restoring the place. _"You have to tell him."_

_"I can't. I already told him I didn't know much of anything."_ M'gann sighs again.

_"If he gets to Roy before we can get information from him, we're all screwed. You know that right?"_ M'gann said.

_"Yes, I know that."_ Artemis said before lying on her back on the bed. She stared at the ceiling. _"Worse, he's the Spider."_

_"Shit."_ It was a rare occasion for M'gann to use profanity but when she did, it was normally followed by a very good reason. _"Wally is on the mission to find the Spider. Now I think it might be a good idea if Jake found Roy instead of Wally."_

"I know, I know…" Artemis said. "Meet me at the library. We need to make up a plan."

_"Shall I bring Zatanna?"_ suggested the Martian.

"No. No one else knows about this." Artemis said rising off of the bed. "I'll be there in ten. Bye."

_"Bye."_

* * *

[Wayne Manor: Gotham City, New Jersey]  
[June 18, 13:33:01 EST]

"Going to find the True Master again, sir?" Alfred asked as he watched Dick pack a bag.

"Not hardly." The young man mumbles.

"Master Dick, if I may," Alfred said. "Master Bruce has a very strong point. Finding Miss Nguyen and killing her will not bring Jason back. It is best that we turn her in to the authorities at once. Master Jason deserves to have justice, not vengeance."

"Yeah, well Jason didn't deserve to die!" Dick shouts.

"No he didn't but-"

"No buts Alfred." Dick said zipping his bag up. "If Bruce wants to let his 'son' die without doing anything about it, then that just shows what kind of a father he really is."

"He wants to do something about it. He just wants to do what's right." Dick's glare told Alfred that his words were only making things worse.

"So my way is the wrong way?" Dick asked.

"That's not what I meant sir. I just think-"

"Alfred, there are many people who wishes I could die in exchange for their loved ones because I failed to save them from that burning building. And then there was Jake… Now Jason. I haven't done anything to help them. And that's because I've been doing what Bruce said. Now I'm not. Now I'm getting justice my way." Dick said.

"You and I both know that you are just angry and I must insist that you stay here and think things through." Alfred attempted as Dick grabbed his bag. "Please, Master Dick…"

"Tell Bruce that I'm not coming back." Dick said. "It's time that we stopped doing things the Justice League way and actually do things for justice."

Dick walked out of the room, leaving Alfred standing alone. He was angry that Bruce had insinuated that this be left to the Justice League and the GCPD to bring Cheshire to justice. That was not okay with Dick. Jason was not just some random kid that was at the wrong place at the wrong time, he was Dick's brother who was trying to protect a girl from an assassin. He made Red X die a hero. Now Dick was going to get justice for Jason. He didn't know where Cheshire was, but he knew who did. And he was going to make Roy talk.

* * *

[Jake's Apartment: Gotham City, New Jersey]  
[June 18, 19:56:09 EST]

Raven. He needed to find Raven to help him fix this. Those were Jake's thoughts as he meditated on his living room floor. Only she could have the calm and collected thoughts he needed to help him fix this mess that Jade has made. Telling Artemis was a stalling tactic, one he prayed to his benefits. He knew she was likely to tell someone and hoped that that someone was either M'gann or Barbara. People he knew that she knew and he trusted.

A soft knock came on his door. With Ben powered down, he was left to the assortment of weaponry at his disposal. At the current moment, he grabbed the collapsible staff that sat on his coffee table. It was really the only nonlethal weapon he had.

Slowly opening the door with the staff behind his back, he was surprised to see Artemis.

"Wow…" His voice was hardly above a whisper before he cleared his throat. "Um, what are you doing here?"

"I want answers Jake. All of them." Artemis said.

Jake frowned. "All of them as in…?"

"The three years you were gone. Tell me what you've been hiding or…" Artemis paused. "Or I swear I'll turn you and Jade in."

Jake stares at her for a moment. Even without Shiva's training, he knew Artemis was lying and badly at that. Hell, he was sure she knew he knew she was lying. Still, he allowed her inside and checked the halls for any of Nyssa's or Talia's private eyes. Seeing none, he closed the door while she moved to the couch.

"Where's Wally?" he asked.

"Sleep." Jake's rotating hand gesture makes her elaborate. "I knocked him. Sleeping gas I had left. He'll wake up tomorrow with me beside him."

"Megan?"

"…"

"You didn't bring her here, did you?"

"No!" Artemis finally answers before sighing. "But she knows that you're alive. She's currently at the Cave. Jason's death requires her to be there as well as Black Canary."

"And you haven't spoken to Dick, have you?" Artemis shakes her head and Jake takes his spot on the floor once more. "Fine. I'll tell you the story about our initial plan and what went wrong after I 'died'. But I warn you. It's pretty long and they'll be some parts you're not going to want to hear but-"

"You slept with someone else?!" Artemis interrupts.

Jake chuckles. "I slept with Rachel before I even came to Gotham City. But that's beside the point." Artemis glares at her ex. "What I meant was there were some pretty gruesome moments. Deaths even. And of course, by the time I went back to Ra's, it was clear that I had to stay away from you at all costs." Artemis sees his eyes close. "For your safety…"

"I know… But tell me anyway." Artemis responds.

Jake opens his eyes. "After we had faked my death, Gemini, Kaldur, Raven, and I met in New York City… Where it all began..."

Jake knew that giving Artemis this valuable information was detrimental to his and her safety. If she told the wrong person, the Light and the Justice League would be after him. Not only that, but it would send the two organizations in utter chaos. Yet he trusted Artemis and knew she would keep it a secret.

Or at least, that's what he hoped.

* * *

**Author's Notes: **So here is the latest chapter of Arkham Rising. I didn't want to spend a lot of time dealing with Jason's death which is why I kind of sped through it, sorry. Either way, next chapter is a giant flashback which will help the transition before Arkham Rising of course. It takes place before the epilogue of Shattered Persona when Jake went to Ra's. It will also dig into the Wilson's life with a bit of a twist at the end. So please stay tuned and I'll update as soon as I can. See ya then.


End file.
